A Vision of Love
by Love Vigilantes
Summary: Edward meets Bella on her 1st day of school, & he realises that he has dreamt about her when he was changed. He loves her. She loves him but what happened to her that made her go to live in a place she hates and make her feel so sad? original. 1st ff. R
1. Meeting Her

**A/N :- This is my first fanfic so tell me what you think of it! Also before you start reading, you should know that I'm British so some of the words may not be spelled the way you write them. Just a warning. lol **

**BTW all the ages are the same, and it is the first day of their Junior year for Bella, Alice and Edward. **

**Emmett hasn't met the Cullens yet but he will be included later on in the fanfic ;)  
****_Chapter 1  
_****_  
_****_EPOV_**

The day started just like any other day. Jasper and Alice were, well, _occupied_. Rosalie was going through her wardrobe and admiring herself in the mirror. No surprise there. Carlisle was getting ready for work at the hospital and Esme was looking at a catalogue to find a new dining table to fit in with her theme of the month. Every month, Esme redecorates the whole house in the one style. This month the theme is white and is to draw attention to the openness of our house. For some reason the girls love redecorating and the only reason they don't redecorate every week, is because Carlisle, Jasper and I had an intervention with them. Now they use the money on charities on the condition that they are allowed to redecorate once a month and we're not allowed to complain about it. Women, I sighed.

I was in my room, listening to music. It was 8 o'clock and I knew I would have to start getting ready for school soon. I was feeling strangely optimistic today. Something was going to happen today, I could feel it. But what? I thought, frustrated. I didn't like not knowing what was going to happen any better than Alice. But luckily for Alice, she's a psychic.

I decided to try and find Alice's 'voice', maybe she had had a vision.

Ewwwwwwww. I quickly retreated from her thoughts, she was still occupied with Jasper. I think I might be eternally scared by what I just heard.

"_Edward_." Carlisle's thoughts called me. "_Rosalie and I are going to hunt tonight. Do you want to join us?_"

"I'll come," I said in a normal voice, I knew Carlisle would hear me.

I decided to get dressed and as soon as I had finished, went downstairs. I found Alice in a vision. She came out of it and I tried to see what her vision was about, but seeing me there, she started translating Joy to the World into Latin. She looked very excited though. I looked at her suspiciously as she put on her 'I'm innocent' face.

"Alice, why are you translating Joy to the World into Latin? What did you see?" I asked her sweetly.

"Oh nothing, dear brother. I think we should get going to school, we don't want to be late!" she said excited. Why was she so eager to get to school?

"Ok," I answered, even more suspicious and puzzled. Alice went running around the house, yelling that we had to get going. They all came down, grumpy and surprised that Alice was looking so happy. Jasper was trying, unsatisfactorily, to get Alice to tell him what she saw. We all climbed into my car, and I started the engine. Alice jumped in beside me, jumping up and down excitedly, and kept on switching the radio stations. After about 5 minutes of this, Rose snapped.

"For God's sake, stop it!! Just tell us, what's got you so excited!" she snapped at Alice.

"Sorry," was all she said. Rose sighed loudly and slumped back into her seat, muttering about a 'Stupid pixie vampire'.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, though Alice went back to her fiddling again. It took us half the time it would take any other person. We pulled into the school and we looked around expectedly however Alice just leapt out.

"Are you going to tell us what you saw now?" I asked her, trying to be patient.

"Oh brother, you'll find out soon!" she sang.

Classes started and ended. Every lesson becoming more boring than the next. Why on earth was Alice being so excited?

Everyone was buzzing about the new girl, Isabella Swan. Humans are so easily excited. They were obsessed with her, every single person I came across were thinking about her. _When were they going to see her? Was she hot? _were the thoughts of the teenage boys, already imagining Isabella as their girlfriend. Whereas the girls were too busy worrying about their boyfriends dumping them for her. I was sick of their jealous rages and imagined that I was at home, composing a new piece on the piano.

I met my brother and sisters in the cafeteria, Alice was looking even more excited, if that was even possible. Her vision must be happening soon. We got 'lunch' and sat down. Rosalie was visibly annoyed at something, but that was only because she was very angry that Alice wouldn't tell her what was making her so excited. Jasper was still trying to figure what Alice saw. I slumped down in my seat closing my eyes for a second. A face appeared in my mind, it was _her._ I sat up and opened my eyes, the rest of the Cullens looking at me surprised.

Everyone around us was very excited, you didn't need to be Jasper to figure that out. Apparently this Isabella girl would be arriving into the cafeteria momentarily.

_Her_. When Carlisle changed me, I had dreams during those dreadful three days. Dreams of what would have been, dreams of my future that I was never to have. One of them, was the face of my soul mate, the girl I would have found, my wife. She was beautiful, pale; a brunette with brown doe eyes. I have never told anyone about her, not even Carlisle or Esme. I let them think that I don't have a mate because I was changed so young. But the truth is, I'm in love with a girl who I've never met, a girl that probably died decades ago. How sad is that?

"Edward, what's wrong?" Jasper hissed at me. He could feel my feelings of sadness, of grief for someone that may not even have existed.

"Nothing," I said sharply, staring down at the repulsive human food.

"Look, it's her. Isabella Swan!" I heard someone hiss at her neighbour.

I looked up, mildly interested in the girl who had the whole school in a uproar. I froze, gob smacked.

It was _her. _My eyes devoured her figure, she was more even more beautiful in person. My dreams had not done justice to her. She was wearing a dark blue V-shaped top and jeans. She looked amazing in it, making it look effortless to reach that level of perfection. I caught her gaze but I continued to stare at her. She stared at me with her lovely brown eyes, as if she had saw me before and blushed. She was so beautiful when she blushed. It was like she was the only person in the room, though there was lots of people here, including my family.

Without realizing, I was walking towards her. I heard Rosalie hiss "What the hell are you doing?" but it sounded as if she was far far away. Then I was right beside her, looking down at her. She looked back up at me and I leant down and kissed her.

For a second, Isabella just stood there and then slowly she put her arms around my neck and kissed me back. It was a soft tender kiss and I was careful not to hurt her as we kissed. The passion between us was undeniable and I yearned to be able to kiss her with everything I had and not to have to worry about hurting her. In that instant, I knew she was my soul mate, my life. I loved her, though I had only met her. I could feel her heart beating so fast that it was hard to determine one beat from another.

Distantly, I heard the stunned remarks of the people around us. Finally, I broke the kiss to let her breathe.

"It's you," she said, breathing heavily.

"Yes," I breathed back. I didn't know that she recognized me, I wondered how. I realized that I couldn't read her mind, that her blood smelt better than any other blood I had ever tasted. That she was human and I was vampire. But it didn't matter, we were together now and I was never going to let her go.

I turned around to face my family, Alice was grinning and giggling, that must have been what her vision was about, Jasper was shocked, his face was priceless, and Rosalie was looking furious. But I didn't care. I turned back to Isabella and extended my hand to her.

"Edward Cullen," I introduced myself. She shook my hand, smirking. I smiled at her.

"Bella Swan. Quite a welcome," she smirked at me.

"Yes, but you don't know how long I've waited for you," I smiled at her. She blushed again. "Would you like to sit with me and my family?"

"Ok," was all she said. I took her tray off her and lead her towards my table, grinning like a fool.

"Everyone this is Bella. Bella, this is Jasper, Rosalie and Alice," I gestured at them in turn. Jasper and Alice smiled at her, but Rose glared at her. I growled, warning her to behave.

"_What the hell are you doing, are you mad!!_" she thought. I scowled at her and pulled out a chair for Bella to sit down.

"_I__'__m so happy for you! She is such a nice girl as well! I wonder if she likes shopping__…"_Alice was thinking, beaming.

"_How can you stand the blood lust, Edward? It's unbearable!" _thought Jasper. I looked apologetically at him, he was suffering but I didn't think that Bella was in any immediate danger.

"So, Bella, do you like shopping?" burst out Alice. I gave her a disapproving look, Bella had barely sat down and she was interrogating her.

"_It's a simple VERY IMPORTANT question, Edward," _Alice thought.

"Umm…it's ok?" Bella answered, but her answer sounded more like a question. She looked at me, unsure.

I smiled encouragingly at her beautiful face, and leaned forwards and whispered to her, "Don't worry, Alice likes you. She's just a crazy girl with a shopping obsession." I knew that every vampire at the table could hear me and Alice stuck out her tongue at me.

Bella smiled at me and I was captivated by it. I would make sure Bella was always smiling, always happy for the rest of my existence. That was my prime goal.

Alice continued to question her, but all the questions were fashion-related. Bella didn't seem to know what Alice was talking about half the time and it was obvious that she guessed some of the questions.

I tried to change the subject around, by asking her why she had moved to Forks, after she mentioned how she hated the cold and wet. Forks is the capital for bad weather, so why did she decide to move here willingly? Her answer puzzled me.

Bella's face immediately closed off. All emotions drained from her face. I tried again to find her mind. It was like she wasn't there. Emptiness where her thoughts were supposed to be. I really wished I knew what she was thinking.

"You know, this and that," Bella managed to say, her voice emotionless. Jasper noticing not only Bella's face and reply but her change in emotions. I concentrated in his mind to find that Bella was feeling a big range of different emotions. She was feeling very sad, sadder than I ever thought possible for any human to feel. Human's feelings were usually very shallow, compared to a vampire's emotions. Vampires seemed to feel more, to hurt more. Her emotions hit me and Jasper hard. It was so powerful that Jasper lost control of his power and suddenly everyone in the canteen was feeling almost suicidal. One girl even ran out crying.

Alice also noticing Bella's reaction to Jasper's question and the feeling of 'I want to die' going around everyone. She quickly changed the subject to their get together that Alice had organised on the spot 5 minutes ago for this weekend. I was happy that Alice liked Bella so much after only just meeting her. Alice was very important to me; we understood each other and I was closer to her than any of my other siblings. "We're going to have so much fun this weekend. First we'll hit that mall… then we'll go see a film. And you have to sleepover. Yeah, a girly sleepover! It's gonna be sooooo much fun!! Oh I cant wait! I can give you a makeover!!" Alice chirped.

Bella seemed relieved of the change of subject but at the same time terrified when she heard Alice say 'makeover', but I wasn't satisfied. Why did she react like that to such a innocent question? What had happened to her that she would feel like that? Did someone hurt her in some way? Rage took over my system at the thought of someone hurting this beautiful girl. The girl I loved. Jasper looked at me quizzically. I shook my head fractionally.

Bella was regaining her composure and the school didn't feel depressed or miserable anymore. I was aching to ask her why she had reacted that way but I knew that this wasn't the time. And anyways we'd only just met, she would open up when she was ready. I just had to be patient… Easier said than done though.

By the end of lunch Bella and Alice were quickly becoming the best of friends while Rosalie scowled at Bella and thought angry thoughts about her. Bella pretended to be ok about Rosalie's obvious distaste of her and pretended not to notice that she was ignoring her but I know that she was hurt. I hated Rosalie then, how could she be so cruel, so callous to the gorgeous Bella. My angel.

But she wasn't mine. I couldn't believe that I had put Bella in so much danger by going up to her. I should have ignored her, pretended not to care about her. And I shouldn't have kissed her. It was too late now to take back the kiss but it was too dangerous to stay with her. Even though it would have been easier to wish that I had never kissed her, I didn't regret it. The feelings she made me feel were so extraordinary, and I wished more than I ever had that I was human. I would be willing to hurt myself in order to keep Bella safe. I would have to show Bella that by kissing her, I didn't mean anything by it. I would have to stay away from her, even if it nearly killed me. Hah, how ironic - nearly killed me, but it was how I felt.

I will go to Denali, straight after school. I will tell Alice and everyone to not go near Bella and she will go on with her life and forget all about the strange boy at school who kissed her on her first day at school.

Alice had a vision while I was thinking this, and kicked me. I looked at her questionably.

"_What the hell, Edward? Don't you dare leave. Why are you being so difficult? You love her, Edward - she's your soul mate. And she loves you too, you can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. You won't be doing her any favours by leaving her, " _she thought angrily.

She loved me? How could she, we'd only just met! It was different for me, I had been waiting for her for decades. I had dreamed about her, thought about her, wished that she were near me. She was the reason I returned to Carlisle during my rebellion years.

After a few months of feeding on human monsters, murderers, I came upon a man following a girl of 17 years old home. It was dark and she shouldn't have been out with no chaperone and all alone. In those days it was scandalous, but the girl was desperate. The man was a drunk, a rapist who preyed on young women and then killed them afterwards. He was evil. I stopped the man and feed from him, and in my hunting state of mind, decided to kill the girl too. She was terrified. I cornered her. She looked into my eyes, in what she thought, and I thought at the time, would be the last thing she would see. She had brown eyes like Bella. In that moment, the girl's face changed to Bella's. I was repulsed by what I had nearly done and I had ran from her. Though at the time I didn't know it was Bella's face, just the girl I loved.

From then on, every time I was tempted to feed, I pictured Bella's face. I was a monster love in with an angel. I couldn't stand killing any person, no matter how evil they were, just because they were the same species of my beloved.

"Earth to Edward. Are you ok?" asked Bella softly, waving a hand in front of my line of vision.

"I am sorry. I was… distracted by my thoughts. Please forgive me," I apologised. I looked around and realised that the canteen was nearly empty and Rosalie had disappeared, as well as Jasper. Alice was looking at me, curiously but still showing a hint of her anger at me thinking of leaving. However she was mostly relieved that I had decided to stay, for now. I needed to be alone, away from Bella's beguiling eyes and her soft luscious lips. I can't think properly when I'm with her, all rational thought just disappears, shadowed by emotions, _human feelings_.

"The bell just went. We have to get to class. What do you have now?" she questioned, her tone still soft.

It turned out that we had the same class and talked about what kind of music we liked on our way to Biology. Alice had left us to go to her own class. While I had 'zonked out', Alice had told Bella that I was a pianist and liked all kinds of music. We found out that we had very similar taste.

"Hey Bella! Come sit with us!" called a baby-faced boy when we got in. I couldn't remember what his name was, something like Nick. I didn't bother with boys who had over-inflated egos. I growled softly when I heard his thoughts.

"Sure, I'll be there in a second, Mick!" Bella called back. My stomach plummeted, did she like Mick? Was she just being nice to me and was hoping the whole lunch that Mick saved her? I glowered at Mick.

But shouldn't I be pleased that she didn't return my affection? It would be worse when I had to ignore her, knowing that she liked me. I wished for the umpteenth time that afternoon that I could read her mind. What was she thinking?

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Bella was looking at me. I realised that she had been talking to me and I was too busy being furious at her friend to pay attention. "I know Mick can be a pain, and I've only met him today! But Angela is nice and I will miss you…" she trailed off, blushing again.

I grinned when she said that she would miss me, maybe she could love me back. Maybe the impossible would happen and my angel could love a monster like me. Maybe Alice was right, I knew she was my soul mate, could I be hers?

Even though I had always thought of Mick and his friends were shallow and self-involved, if Bella liked them I would try harder to be friendly to them, for _her_. "Let's go!" I said as I took her hand and walked towards Mick, Angela and that girl that Bella was with at the start of lunch, Jessica. I noticed that Mick and the other guys' smiles falter when they saw me coming with Bella. They were jealous, I realised. Well, who wouldn't be?

"Hello guys. Is it ok if Edward joins us?"

* * *

**So what do you think? Guess why Bella moved school?**

**Let me explain the whole Edward loving Bella before they met thing cause it is confusing. When Edward was getting changed he had like visions only they weren't what would happen to him. it was what would have happened if he hadn't got changed into a vampire and lived - or so he thought. He believes that his soulmate, Bella, lived her life as a human in the time of his human life. And everytime he feels depressed or thinks he doesn't have a reason to live he thinks of Bella. Likewise. when Bella needed comfort she started to dream of a certain beautiful bronzehaired boy with a crooked smile that we should all know before she even moved to Forks lol. (And 4 stupid people I am obviously talking about Edward. duh). Later on in the fanfic, you'll find out when and why she needed comfort and why she moved etc. There is a big twist in the later chapters (well, I think it is) and I don't think anyone will guess what happens. lol**

**The next few chapters will all be in Edward's POV. I might do Bella's POV of her 1st day in a flashback...**

**Luv,  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo :)  
xXx**


	2. Getting to Know Bella

**Hey guys it's chapter 2! I forgot the Disclaimer in the last chapter.. oops lol But here it is now - I do not own Twilight. That lucky person would be Stephenie Meyer**

**Also to BlackBird28 - don't worry, you didn't sound like a know-it-all! It was nice to have your opinion, isn't that what reviews are for? Do you think that my summary is better now? Thanks for telling me!**

**This chapter isn't as long as my 1st chapter but my next chapter will be nice and long! (I think) lol**

* * *

Previously:-

"_Hello guys. Is it ok if Edward joins us?"_

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

"I suppose so," grumbled Mick. He obviously wasn't very happy about me being friendly with Bella and his thoughts just reinforced my assumption. What annoyed me most was that he was more concerned about her appearance than her personality.

"Hey, Edward," said the girl called Jessica in a sultry voice that I realised was supposed to be seductive. _"Come on, Edward. I'm way hotter than Bella. Shes's so ugly, I don't even know why Mick and all the other boys like her. They should like __**me**__."_

My jaw set, and my eyes flashed with fury. This girl was supposed to be Bella's friend, she had been the girl to show Bella around. And then, just when Bella's back was turned, she was thinking and no doubt saying all these vicious untrue things. Bella was looking at me now, confusion in her eyes. She noticed that I was angry about something; she was very observant. Maybe a little too observant? How long would it take for her to realize that I wasn't an ordinary teenage human?

"What's wrong?" she whispered to me. We continued to have our own private discussion, ignoring the rest of them. Jessica and Lauren leaned into hear what we were saying and stated their own opinions, even though they weren't asked. I just ignored them, if they were going to go around and talk about the girl I loved in that way, they didn't disserve to be paid attention to. Bella, on the other hand, was too nice so she tried to include them as well, though I could tell she was reluctant.

Mr. Banner walked in and proceeded to inform everyone about this year's curriculum, all topics that I had been taught multiple times before, naturally. He was one of the only teachers in the school that didn't have assigned seating, but he told us that the seats we had chosen this lesson would be our seats for the rest of the year.

For the rest of the lesson, he talked to us on something to do with the digestive system. I wasn't really listening due to the presence of the angel beside me. Her scent was driving me crazy, and she didn't even realise. She was just sitting there, listening to the teacher speak with her hair tucked behind her ear with a slight smile on her face.

Bella and I were in the car park. We were among the last to leave, and I was going to Bella's house. Our relationship may have been going very fast for a normal **human **relationship, but I wasn't human.

I had organised with my family that they would drive the Volvo home and tell Carlisle about my change of plans. I wanted to delay the hunting trip until tomorrow, so that I could spend the rest of the afternoon with Bella.

Her car was very… special, well at least to her. I was dismayed to find out that her car couldn't go any faster than 60 miles an hour, and Bella was very careful with her car as well. So we were only going at about 40. 40! I was so tempted to press down hard on the accelerator, so it could at least go at least a little bit faster. Of course, Bella thought it was hilarious and teased me by decreasing the speed even more, making me beg.

I started asking her questions about her interests, her hobbies. I wanted to know everything about her, I wanted to know more about her than anyone else in the world. Even more than her parents. I still couldn't believe that Bella could even think to talk to such a worthless monster like me. She was too good, too generous.

"Am I ever going to get a chance to ask **you** some questions?" Bella whined and her bottom lip stuck out into a pout. I laughed. "Hey, why don't we play Truth?"

I stared at her, confused. What was Truth?

"Haven't you ever played Truth before?" I shook my head. "Aw poor Edward. Didn't you ever play it when you were younger? Well, it's really easy. Basically all you have to do is ask the other person a question. It can be about anything to do with yourself. Like all this embarrassing stuff. Then the other person answers and then they ask you a question. To win the game, the other person has to refuse to answer the question and then you have to answer theirs." I must have still looked confused as she tried to use an example. "For example, I could ask you… What was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? And then you would tell me and it would be you turn to ask me a question. But you have to tell the person the truth or then there would be no point of the game."

"Ok. Let's play," I agreed. By now we were sitting in Bella's kitchen. "I'll go first. Bella, what is your favourite colour?"

"That's easy," Bella smirked. "It changes day-to-day. Today, it's brown. Ok, my turn. Edward, how old were you when you learned how to play the piano and when did you first start composing your own music?"

"I started when I was five. I've been playing ever since. I started composing my own music a few years back, I was about eleven," I said smoothly, the lie coming easy. "So Bella, who was your best friend in Phoenix?"

"My best friend was called…" her face suddenly went all sad. "My best friend was called Catherine," I could tell she was lying. I tried to find her mind but I still couldn't find it. It frustrated me a lot - why was she so distant about her past. All she had mentioned was that she grew up in Phoenix with her mom and that she had remarried a man called Phil. I could tell that she didn't like Phil so I assumed that Phil was the reason that she had moved here. I decided to pretend that I didn't know that she was lying. "Ok, my turn again. So Edward, who is **your **best friend?"

We continued to ask each other questions about each other, but I stayed away from anything to do with her life before Forks. I would find out when she was ready. I had to be patient. Halfway through, Bella had to start making dinner for her and her dad. She invited me to stay for dinner but I made up an excuse that I had promised Esme that I would be back for dinner. I was disappointed to leave, but we would continue the game tomorrow in school.

As Alice had driven my Volvo home, I ran back home. I missed Bella already, but I was also relieved that I was away from the scent of her blood. I knew that my family would be curious about her. Rosalie was convinced that Bella was going to betray us if I told her about what we were, but I didn't believe that. She would be scared and horrified and would refuse to see me ever again, but I do not think she would tell anyone.

"_I'm going to kill that Edward! How could he jeopardise our family's future here in Forks? She's not even that special, yes she's pretty, but nothing like me! Oh, here he is now. About time!" _Rosalie was fuming inside. I heard from Alice's thoughts that they hadn't told Carlisle and Esme as they thought that it would be better hearing it from me. They already knew something was up, and all Alice had told them was it was very good news.

I opened the door to find the whole family starring at me, Alice and Jasper were smiling, Rosalie was **really **angry, whereas Carlisle and Esme had expectant smiles on their faces.

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" I pretended to be nonchalant.

"Edward, tell them!!" Alice bounced up and down. She was very excited about Bella and already thought of her as her new sister.

"Edward, what is going on?" inquired Esme.

We went into the living room and we all sat down in chairs. "Do you remember Charlie Swan? The police officer? His daughter moved in with him and it was her first day at school today. Esme, I never really understood that when you first met Carlisle that you knew that he was your soul mate. Until now. I love Bella with all my heart and I know that she's human and I'm a vampire and it's dangerous. I… I can't think of a life without her," I said earnestly, looking at Carlisle and Esme.

Esme looked really happy for me but concerned about my happiness. She thought that it wouldn't be very nice to have to always have your guard up with the person you loved most. That I might lose control and hurt Bella.

Rosalie looked disgusted. "She's bewitched you, Edward. You've only just met her, how can you love a human? By next week, you will have lost interest in her! And that slut will have another boy by the end of the week!"

"She does have a point, Edward. How do you not know this is not just a passing crush? Although I've never seen you so hung up about a person. She certainly must be something," Carlisle asked me.

"Carlisle, how could you even think that? The way Edward looks at her, he really loves her. Plus in all the visions I've had of Bella and Edward this afternoon, every single one ends with them being together. Carlisle, they're soul mates! And Rosalie, you know that Bella loves Edward too! Everyone in the same room as them would know!" Alice burst out.

"You really think she likes me?" I asked hopefully, sounding like a 12 year old boy with his first crush.

Alice rolled her eyes and said, "Edward, she **loves **you. She may have not said it yet but she does! I've never seen a couple more suited together and I've just known her a day! Well, except from Jasper and I." She said turning to Jasper and looking lovingly into his eyes.

I looked away, their moment seemed too private. I hoped that Bella and I would have that someday, but I knew that it would be impossible. She was human and I knew my family expected me to change her. But I couldn't.

"Edward, for once stop brooding and being a pessimistic. I know you think that Bella is a better person and she couldn't love you but trust me on this. You are the best brother I could ever ask for and you would be the best husband as well. She loves you. You love her. Act like a lovesick teenager for once in your life!" Alice lectured. Sometimes I think Alice is the mind reader, not me. She seemed to always know what I was thinking.

I smiled at her and went upstairs to my room. I needed to be alone where I could think about what had happened today. I realised that I wouldn't be able to stay away from Bella, even if I tried. I would find out what had happened to her before she moved and I would protect her from anyone or anything that posed a threat to her. I would love her and be with her for as long as she wanted me. I hoped that the answer to that would be forever.

I couldn't wait until I was with Bella again.

* * *

**Awwww Don't you just love Edward?! **

**I thought that the Truth game would be a good way for them to get to know each other and it also gives more clues to what happened to Bella! lol**

**Please Review and tell me what you think of this!**

**Luv  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo! :D**


	3. An Accident

_**A/N - I wanted to get another chapter up today and I didn't go over it so there might be typos. Sorry. If there is please tell me. lol**_

_**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters. **_

_**Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favourites / Alert list or reviewed. **_

**_There was something else I wanted to say, but I can't remember... lol...ah well. _**

**_Chapter 3  
EPOV_**

I was waiting beside my Volvo the next day, impatiently awaiting Bella's arrival. Rosalie had refused to go to school if Bella would be with me. She and Jasper decided to go hunting and that the rest of the family would meet up with them when we left later on. I still hadn't decided if I would go with them or postpone it, Until then, I would hunt nearby on the local wildlife. I needed to be as satisfied as possible around Bella.

Alice and I drove to school earlier than we would have on an ordinary day so we could get our time tables changed. I wanted to be in the same classes as Bella and Alice decided we would both get them changed. The secretary was very eager to help us, and it didn't take long to get them all changed so we were in the same class as Bella in every subject.

I sighed and looked around the car park once again, this was probably her car's fault.

Alice chuckled. "Edward, she'll be here in 2 minutes and 47 seconds."

I looked at her. That was when I heard it. Her car was the loudest car I had ever heard in the entirety of my existence. I would buy Bella a nice new car one day soon. A fast one. I smiled when her car came into view and as she parked it, I walked eagerly towards her. I could hear Alice chuckle again behind me.

"Hi," Bella greeted me, looking at me from underneath her eyelashes. She seemed surprised that I had come up to her. She looked ravishing, as usual and I was very tempted to kiss her again like I had yesterday. I noticed that her heartbeat quickened.

"Hello, Bella," I was about to say something else when I was interrupted by the Bella Swan Fan Club.

"Hey, Bella!" said Mick enthusiastically. He was miffed that I was with her, and shocked that I had gone out of my way to talk to Bella. Three guys were with him as well.

"Hey guys. Edward was just going to show me his Cds in his car. Right, Edward?" Bella responded. I was going to show her my Cds? I looked confusedly at her. She stood slightly on my foot. Oh right. She wanted to get away from these hormonal boys.

"Yes, I was," I stared at them, daring them to talk.

"OK. Well… c-c-cya in class then. Coming, Mick?" Tyler said nervously and they walked away, looking over their shoulders at me apprehensively .

We burst out laughing as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Oh. My. God. Did I just hear Edward laugh? Silent, serious Edward?" Alice was amazed. This made me laugh even harder.

"Come on," I took Bella's hand and started to lead her towards my car, once we had stopped laughing.

"Wait, where are we going?" asked Bella.

"My car obviously. Don't you want to see my Cds?" I enquired wide-eyed. This made us burst into a new fit of laughter once more.

The rest of the day passed in the same fashion. Bella and I just joking about, learning more about each other. I found out that she loved Classical books, I was pleasantly surprised. Her favourite books were Wuthering Heights and the Jane Austen books.

I asked her what book she was reading at the moment. She was reading a book called Blood and Chocolate. I burst out laughing when I heard the name while Bella just looked at me, concerned for my mental health.

"Edward, are you ok? What's so funny?" she asked me, still confused.

"Nothing. It is just such a peculiar name. What is it about?" I was curious.

"Well, it's not the kind of book I usually read but my friend recommended it. It's about this girl called Vivian who is a teenage werewolf and she falls in love with this human boy called Aiden. But her pack don't eat humans or anything. They've stopped doing that but she thirsts for human blood. She has to choose between her loyalty to her pack or her love for Aiden. It's really good," she told me. This book reminded me of our relationship.

"What happens?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well, Vivian loves Aiden and decides to tell him the truth about her being a werewolf. She thinks that he would accept her, because they loved each other. When Aiden finds out, he's scared of her and ends their relationship. It's really sad. I've nearly finished it but I can't help thinking that they didn't really love each other. I mean, not **really**. If it happened to me and I was in love with a werewolf," she laughed. "I would have still loved him and wouldn't have dumped him. And it's not like Vivian was going to hurt Aiden or anything. You know what I mean? Plus if I was Vivian, I would have shown Aiden that there was nothing to be afraid of. If she really loved him, wouldn't she have not let go?"

"So you're saying that you wouldn't mind if the person you loved wasn't human? A werewolf? You wouldn't reject him, even if that guy thirsted for your blood?" I was both furious and full of hope. Furious because she wouldn't mind sacrificing her safety to be with a (remember it's a hypothetical question, Edward!) werewolf, even though that werewolf might hurt her accidentally.

"What's wrong, Edward?" she asked me again.

"Oh, nothing. If I ever meet a werewolf I'll introduce you," I said, trying to be light-hearted.

She laughed. "Thanks, but I prefer vampires. Much more sexier. So if you ever meet a vampire, Edward, introduce us and you can be the Best Man at the wedding!" she joked, winking at me. I grinned and my dead heart nearly started beating again, I was so happy. Maybe she would understand, maybe she would accept me.

I wasn't the only one enjoying Bella's company; Alice and Bella talked like they had known each other for years. It was a very enjoyable day.

Well, up to last period. We had P.E. and Bella warned me that she was bad at sports. I knew she was clumsy; she had tripped up many times during the day but I had always caught her before she hit the floor. I thought she was exaggerating.

It was actually very comical. We had partnered up to play tennis and she was really trying to hit the ball. We were playing a double against a boy called Ben (one of Bella's new friends) and Alice. Ben was one of the only boys in the entire school not infatuated with her. He had his eye on another one of Bella's friends, a girl called Angela. But who am I to complain? I'm just as infatuated with Bella, if not more so.

Anyways, once when Bella was trying to hit the ball, she tripped over nothing but her own feet and hit her racket on her ankle really hard **(A/N lol. I actually did that)**. I picked her up from the ground and examined her to make sure she wasn't hurt. She would have a big bruise in the morning but she continued to soldier on. I took her side as well as my own so that she didn't have to hurt herself as much. But that wasn't enough to prevent what happened next.

Bella was about to attempt to hit the ball when Mick bumped into her, trying to hit the ball for his game. They fell over each other and Bella's hands and knees were grazed. I could hear her arm break as she landed on the ground. She started to bleed.

Her blood called to me, and all rational thought left me. I started to walk towards my prey. Suddenly an iron wall stopped me. It was Alice.

"Edward! Look at me, you love Bella. Fight it!" she begged.

Meanwhile the teacher and all our classmates were crowded around her. Apparently Bella couldn't stand blood, and was light-headed. They didn't notice Alice and I on the one side, me struggling to get to Bella, and Alice trying to stop me.

I started to calm down, as I realised what I was doing. I would have killed the woman I loved if Alice hadn't been there. I was a monster, how could I have even thought to kill her. I sat down on the ground and put my head in my hands; struggling with the inner monster that demanded my beloved's blood. I clenched my teeth together and swallowed the venom that now flooded my mouth. I stopped breathing, as did Alice.

"Um… Edward. What are you doing?" asked Bella. I looked up, she was cradling her arm and plasters over her cuts. At least she wasn't bleeding anymore. She was paler than usual and she looked ill.

I ignored her question and instead said to her with my mouth clasped as shut as it could be while still being able to talk. "You should go to the hospital; I'll drive you."

"Edward, are you sure that's a good idea?" Alice thought, looking at me worriedly. I shook my head fractionally so Bella wouldn't notice.

"Let's go," I said and led Bella to my car, after Bella explained to the teacher where we were going.

It was silent in the car as I started the engine and drove out of the school. I wished I knew what she was thinking, I knew she was confused about my sudden change of mood. Was she angry at me? Was that why she was silent?

"Edward, please speak to me. Are you angry at me?" Bella sounded close to tears. I looked at her and as soon as we made eye contact, tears started to leak out of her eyes. I made her cry, I realised. I was disgusted at myself.

I stopped the car and pulled over to the side of the road. "Bella, how could I be angry at you? You were entirely blameless, I'm angry at myself! I could never be angry at you. You do know that don't you?" I said softly.

I leant forward and wiped her tears off with soft kisses. I kissed her mouth once, twice and put my arms around her. I hugged her and smelled her soft hair. She sniffed and sighed contently.

Then, like remembering something she stared up at me. "Why are you angry at yourself? It wasn't your fault, I'm so uncoordinated that I would make a look graceful." She giggled and I snickered but I was still furious about my lack of control. I had always prided myself on my control of resisting to drink from humans. I had even been self-centred enough to think that I was nearly as good as Carlisle, better than Rosalie, Esme, Alice or Jasper.

I didn't know what to say next - if I told her the truth why I was mad at her she would hate me. She would be terrified. Or I could let Bella think that I was only angry that I didn't prevent her falling and breaking her arm. I cowardly changed the subject.

"Is your arm hurting you?" I asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she lied but her wince gave her away.

I sped up and rang Carlisle. I told him about Bella's accident and how we were on our way to the hospital. He said that he would be ready for us and that he would talk more at home.

I ended the phone call and glanced at Bella. She looked terrified. "Edward, watch the road! And slow down. I don't want to die," she squeaked out.

I let out a stunned bark of laughter - of all the things that she had to be terrified of, she was afraid of my driving! Nevertheless I slowed down to 80, even though it frustrated me.

We finally made it to the hospital, where I led Bella to Carlisle's office. I knocked on the door once, and opened it. Carlisle was sitting behind his desk, waiting for us.

He stood up and shook Bella's uninjured hand. "Hello, you must be Bella. I'm Dr. Cullen, Edward's father. I've heard a lot about you from Alice and Edward."

She blushed and seemed astonished that Alice and I would talk about her. Carlisle, noticing her embarrassment, went into his doctor persona and looked at her hand. While Carlisle worked on her arm, I phoned Bella's dad, Charlie, and told him that she would be home late. He was concerned about Bella but not surprised; Bella had obviously broken bones before caused by her klutziness.

Once Carlisle was finished, I drove Bella home. I had phoned Alice earlier on to ask her to drive Bella's truck home. We just sat staring at each other once I pulled up in front of her house.

"So," she finally said, breaking the silence. "I better go in."

"Bella… What are you doing on Saturday?"

"Um… well, Alice invited me to that sleepover, but nothing other than that. Why?" She looked bewildered.

"Bella, I am not sure how to word this, I have never done this before but I… Bella, you know I like you. I like you very much. Probably more than I should." I didn't want to scare her by telling her I loved her after knowing her for the grand total of two days. "Bella, would you like to go out with me on Saturday. It is ok if you do not want to, you don't have to say yes but…" Great, I was stuttering; just exactly the impression I was going for.

"Yes, Edward. I'd love to," she interrupted my babbling. She smiled. "So cya tomorrow?"

"Oh actually, I am not going to be in school tomorrow. None of my family will be in school tomorrow. We are going camping, but we will be back on Friday," I told her. I needed to go hunting and after today's events I could not postpone it any longer. I would actually be home early Thursday morning but Alice had said that it would be sunny that day.

"Oh, ok. Cya on Friday then." She looked disappointed.

She got out and I drove back home, already missing Bella's intoxicating presence.

I opened the door and the rest of my family (excluding Jasper and Rosalie of course) were in the living room, waiting for me. They wanted to find out what happened today. After Alice told everyone else that I had laughed several times during the day, they were all stunned into silence. I didn't know that I was **that **bad.

Esme actually looked like she would cry if she could, she was so overjoyed that her son had found happiness. She already loved Bella, even if she hadn't met her. She had made her son happy. She wanted to meet Bella, and she will. On Saturday night. Alice reminded us that Bella would be sleeping over.

All of us were going to go on the hunting trip, however Carlisle would return earlier as he couldn't get any more time off from the hospital. We were going to leave in the morning and so the rest went off to their own rooms to entertain themselves until then.

I decided to play my piano and played all my favourite pieces. I began to think about Bella, and I found myself composing a song for her. She was the light in my darkness and I wanted to do something romantic. To show her how I felt. I finally finished it at about midnight.

"That was beautiful, Edward." I hadn't realised that Esme had been listening to me. I was too engrossed in my music and the picture of Bella in my head. "That was for Bella, wasn't it?" she continued.

I nodded. "Mom, I need your advice. You know the way I told you about how I can't read Bella's thoughts? It annoys me so much that I do not know what she is thinking, if she likes me or not. I am not sure if she is just being polite and I don't know how to tell her how I feel. I don't want her to feel pressurised into a relationship with me but I want her to know that I love her. I want her to love me, but how could she love me? She's amazing, Mom. Nice to everyone; she's my angel. And I'm a monster who wishes that I could kill her. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt her but what if I'm too rough with her? What if I can't handle the hunger and I kill her? I know you all expect me to change her, but how could I destroy Bella's future? How could I condemn the woman I love to a half-life, a never-ending life full of agony? What would you do if you were me? If it was Carlisle we were talking about?" All the questions and fears I had been agonizing about in the last few days just burst out. I needed advice from a different perspective than mine.

"Edward, you have to stop blaming yourself and being so negative about yourself. You are not a monster, Edward. If you were, you would have abandoned our lifestyle a long time ago. You would murder poor innocent humans everyday. I thought you would have learned your lesson in not betting against Alice. If she says Bella loves you, then I believe that. And why wouldn't she? You are an amazing person. If Carlisle was human, then I would leave it up to Carlisle to decide if he wanted to be changed. Think about this way, if you change Bella, you'll be together forever."

I thought about what she said. She was right, maybe Bella did love me. Maybe.

I found myself running to Bella's house. I climbed up her wall to get to her bedroom (Bella had shown me her bedroom yesterday) and opened the window. There laid my beautiful Bella, sleeping. Her heartbeat was slow and relaxed. She looked stunning, even in her sleep. I sat down in a rocking chair on the other side of the room and moved it forwards so I could watch her.

She started to dream and I found out she talked in her sleep. "Spider monkeys… ransom… tree…" **(A/N LOL!)**Then she had a nightmare.

"No! Please don't hurt me. I'm sorry!" she begged and then she started screaming. I heard Charlie wake up, but apparently her screaming was a regular occurrence. I couldn't pick up much from Charlie's thoughts, he was still half-asleep, but I found out that this wasn't just a nightmare. It was a flashback.

Her screaming went on for another half-hour and she was crying in her sleep. I wanted to wake her up; I didn't know what to do. It was torture having to listen to her scream, though not knowing who hurt her and how to protect her. I could protect her from any person, animal or vampire that tried to kill her but I couldn't protect her from her dreams. I wanted to kill the person who had hurt her.

"You killed him! I hate you! No, no! It hurts," she whimpered. Then she started screaming again.

All of a sudden, she stopped screaming. It was silent for a couple hours and then she started to have a different dream. I knew it was a nice dream because she started to smile and sigh happily. "Edward…" I froze. She was dreaming about me, and it wasn't a nightmare! I was so ecstatic that I heard myself whisper her name. I grinned. "Oh… crooked smile…" she giggled. "You stupid shiny Volvo owner…" I chuckled quietly, I didn't want to wake her up. "You dazzle me… Edward!" I waited. "Edward, I love you." She turned over and sighed happily again.

No words can describe the joy, the happiness I felt then. She loved me. "I love you, Isabella Marie Swan," I murmured to her.

My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. It was Alice.

"Told you!" she sang gleefully into the song.

I chuckled. I felt like I was flying, like I was weightless. It felt like an amazing dream. Nothing could bring me down. "Yes, you were right."

"Edward, you should come home now. She will wake up soon and we will be leaving about ten minutes."

"Fine, see you in five." I put my phone back into my pocket and kissed Bella's forehead and whispered into her ear, "Goodbye, my love. I can't wait until I see you again. I love you." She stirred and I put her room quickly back into the state it was when I came in. I gave one glance at my beloved then jumped out of her bedroom and ran.

The next few days passed agonisingly slow. We hunted and we went home. But because it was so sunny I couldn't go to school. I never wanted to go to school before, it was always boring, I knew all the topics until it got almost ridiculous. I missed Bella so much.

To pass the time, I planned our date on Saturday. I decided that I couldn't mislead her anymore. I was going to tell her what I was. I was so nervous that she would reject me but what she had said about that book, Blood and Chocolate, I was willing to take the chance. I would also tell her that I loved her, that I had even before she was born.

On Thursday night, I watched Bella sleep again. She had the nightmare again but then she dreamt of me. I ached to know what had happened to her, but I had to wait until Bella was ready to tell me.

Finally it was Friday, and I was ready to go at five. Alice and Esme had bought lots and lots of food for Bella for their sleepover and Alice bought her lots of clothes as well. I knew that Bella wouldn't be pleased.

When I finally got everyone into the car ready to go, I drove very fast, even for me, to school in record time. We were the first people there and Alice and Rosalie had bought fashion magazines with them and Jasper had a book. It seemed that Alice had warned them that I would practically drag them into my car and we would have to wait for ages until school started. I turned on my Cd player but I couldn't concentrate on the music. I kept on replaying Bella saying she loved me. Granted, she was asleep at the time but it was the best moment in my entire existence.

After about an hour, Bella's truck came into view. Alice, Jasper and I jumped out of my baby, my Volvo, to greet her.

"Oh my God, Bella. Are you alright?"

**Oh yes, I am evil! Sorry I ended it with a sorta- cliffhanger. **

**So what do you think of this chapter? Please review so I know what you think of it! **

**Any more ideas of what happened to Bella?**

**BTW - Blood and Chocolate is a real book. I read it about a month ago and I couldn't help but see all the similarities between it and Twilight. Of course Twilight is the best but Blood & C is relly gd as well. **

**The dreams - I couldn't resist with the dream about the spidermonkeys! And if you didn't get it, then SHAME ON YOU! Sme with the last dream.**

**Also I just wanted to say so you don't get confused - in Bella's dream she mentioned about Edward's crooked smile, if you read carefully you would have realised that when I say Edward smiles, I don't say "I smiled crookedly". I don't do that merely because I don't think Edward would consiously know that he was smiling crookedly and even if he did, I don't think he would say "I smiled crookedly". So basically when Edward is looking at Bella or talking about her etc. then he IS smiling crookedly. Usually. **

**Luv  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo :)**


	4. Cheering Bella up

**Disclaimer :- I don't own Twilight. Unfortunately.1**

**Thanks to everyone who Reviewed or put a Story Alert / Favorited this story. I love it when people review! I found out that people didn't really like my cliffie in the last chapter lol. But the next chapter is here now**

_Jacob-is-my-life7_** asked me about Mick. They were confused about if I meant Mike. Mick is based on Mike but has some differences, as you will find out later in the story. Mike, as in Stephenie Meyer's Mike, was one of Bella's "friends" in Phoenix though he doesn't get a big mention. I only added him in so Bella would think that he was very like Mike. Mick and Mike are not big characters though, they are just 2 boys that REALLY annoy Bella. lol Sorry for the confusion. If you have any other questions, ask me.**

**This chapter is dedicated to my new Beta - Tailz the Great. She is amazing.**

_Previously:-_

"_Oh my God, Bella. Are you alright?" exclaimed Jasper and Alice together._

**Chapter 4**

**EPOV**

Bella had red puffy eyes and looked like she was fighting tears. When she saw me, she started to sob and flung herself at me. I was shocked at her sudden movement but put my arms around her and tried to comfort her. _But from what? Why was she so upset?_ I thought. My bloodlust seemed trivial compared to my overwhelming distress over her being in tears.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I asked anxiously after she had calmed down a little. I had carried her to my Volvo, where she wouldn't be stared at. She wasn't sobbing anymore but tears were leaking out of her big brown eyes.

Alice and Jasper were keeping their distance - near enough for them to hear but not too close that Bella would know that they were listening in. Rose had already stormed into school, and so Bella and I were relatively alone.

Our eyes locked but Bella was silent. _Now _I was seriously worried. "Bella, please tell me," I begged her. I hated not knowing.

"I-I-it's my mom, Edward. S-she's in the hospital. Apparently she was mugged," she said, but I could tell from her tone of voice that she didn't believe that the reason for her mother's injuries was because she was mugged. "S-She has bruises all over her, and broken some of her ribs and one of her legs. She had internal bleeding as well. The doctors were able to stop it, but I can't believe that I wasn't told sooner! It's been a few days since the accident and for a while they weren't sure if they could stop the bleeding in time. They're letting her go home in a few days time! So much has happened and I didn't even have a clue!" Her voice broke and she started to sob again.

_Poor Bella._ I rubbed her back comfortingly. I could relate to her situation; I remembered when my mother and father caught the dreaded Spanish Influenza. I was terrified that they wouldn't make it. I remember feeling helpless; I wasn't a doctor and there was nothing I could do to prevent them dying. Then I caught it. Even in my weakened state, I was very upset about my father's death. And then my mother died as well, though I didn't know it until after the change. But then again, after my being turned into a vampire, I had a lot to grieve about - my lost life, my parents' death, my loneliness, knowing that I had a soul mate but not allowed to find her for her safety. It was a lot for a guy to handle.

Then the bell rang. I cursed under my breath. _Oh just great. Wonderful timing_, I thought sarcastically. Bella was finally opening up to me, and then the bell goes. I got out of the car and opened Bella's door. Her heart sped up as I smiled down at her as she got out. Now that I knew that she loved me, I began to notice all the signs that her body had unconsciously been sending out to show her attraction to me. Like when her heart sped up when I smiled at her or touched her or when her breath caught in her throat.

As we walked across the school car park, Alice rushed over to meet us. She had overheard Bella talking about her mom and she wanted to make Bella feel better. She asked Bella if she wanted to go to the bathroomwhere Alice could cover up her tear-stained face. Bella was very grateful for Alice's thoughtfulness as she didn't want to look like she was really upset.

The first few classes went on as normal except people kept on walking up to Bella asking her if she was ok. They all wanted to be the first person to know why Bella had been seen crying. They had also heard about the incident in P.E yesterday and were asking if they could sign the cast covering her broken arm.

Bella was looking back to her normal beautiful self, thanks to Alice and her magic make-up skills. But then again, Bella always looks gorgeous, even when she's in tears. She was quieter than usual, that was expected, and didn't really pay attention in class. I could tell she was thinking intently about something but that was all I could gather from just her expression. I wasn't used to having to guess what people were thinking about; for nearly as long as I can remember, all I had to do would be focusing on their mind's _voice _and there it was.

I was desperate to cheer Bella up and to stop retreating into herself. She hardly ever spoke except when she was asked a question and then it was only a few syllables. It was almost time for lunch and I was conferring with Alice over ideas on how to make Bella smile again.

"We could make her laugh," Alice suggested gloomily feeling bad for her friend.

"No, that won't work. It'll take more than a joke to cheer her up. Plus, Alice, we're not really that funny," I said, exasperated. I needed to think of something quick before Bella came back from the bathroom.

I thought hard, what could we do? …Oh. OH! "I have an id-" I started.

Alice squealed, "Yep, that's perfect!" She had had a vision of my idea. Earlier on, I had asked Bella why she didn't go visit her mom in hospital as she was so upset.

"Edward, not everyone has as much money as you!" she teased. "Plus I'm not sure my mom would be that happy about me visiting her out of the blue." I felt awful I had suggested it. Did she think I flaunted my family's money? I think she only added about her mom not being pleased, so I wouldn't feel bad.

At that moment, Bella came back into the room and Alice and I leaned back from each other and chorused "Hi" to her. She looked at us suspiciously at our over-innocent faces.

"What are you planning?" she asked nervously.

I decided this was the time to inform her of my plan. "Bella, Alice and I just remembered about how we were going to go to Phoenix this next weekend but Alice just recalled how she had already planned to go with Jasper to this mall opening. So, we thought that you could take Alice's place and you can go see your mom. We are leaving next Saturday."

"So, Alice, you just remembered now that you were going to a mall opening with your boyfriend? Why does that surprise me that you would forget about such a thing as a **MALL OPENING**? Alice, I've only known you for less than a week, and I know that you wouldn't forget about that," she said angrily but trying to keep the anger from flowing into her voice.

"_Damn. She's too smart," _Alice thought. "Well, I've had… well, a very tough week, Bella. It's not my fault that I forgot - I haven't been sleeping all week and I've been PMS-ing. My boyfriend, Jasper, is obsessed with this book about some Civil War in the 19th Century and won't go shopping with me cause he wants to read his book instead!" she pouted, lying through her teeth. _"Oh, yeah, I'm good…"_ she thought, proud of herself that she had came up with such a 'believing' cover story. I tried to restrain myself from bursting out into laugher.

Unbelievably, Bella believed her. "Oh, I'm really sorry! Maybe we could go shopping on Sunday…" she amended. Alice immediately dropped her fake sad face and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yes, that would be perfect! We're going to have the most amazing time! We have to get you nice clothes for Phoenix next weekend! Bella, I'm going to make your cast look cute!" she squealed.

She seemed to have forgotten all about Phoenix, well, that is until Alice reminded her. "What?! I told you, I am **not **going. I told you my mom might not be pleased and I wouldn't be able to pay you back in time!" she protested.

"Bella, you **ARE **going and you don't have to pay us back; we've got loads to spare. You know you want to," I argued.

"Yes, Edward's right," Alice said.

Bella was quiet. "Is that what you think of me? A charity cause? All this time you've been just hanging out with me because you were feeling sorry for me?" she asked, hurt written all over her face.

"No!" I gasped, shocked that she could even think of that. "Bella, I would not go up to a person and get to know them just because I felt sorry for them. I would not kiss them or ask them out unless I really liked that person. Bella," I looked around the History classroom. No one was really paying attention to us; the teacher wasn't here today so we had a free period. "Bella, I love you. I was planning to tell you tomorrow when we weren't in school and…"

"I love you, too," she interrupted and blushed.

"_Awwwwwwwwww… You two are so cute together_," Alice thought, beaming.

We both leaned in, our faces closer, our mouths closing the remaining space. I gave in to all my passion and let her feel my love for her through our kiss. Then somebody coughed loudly beside us. I wanted to continue but Bella was too embarrassed to and looked up at an uncomfortable Mick.

"Bella, I was wondering… there is this new restaurant in Port Angeles and I was wondering if you would like to come with me there. Like a date?" he asked.

My eyes flashed with rage, was he that stupid? Asking someone out in front of the boy she had just been kissing before he had so rudely interrupted them? Just minutes before they had told each other they loved each other for the first time? Well at least when they were both awake at the time. Not the smartest boy in the world. Even though Bella had already confided that she didn't really like Mick, I couldn't help feeling jealous. It was irrational - it wasn't like she had said yes - but I couldn't help it.

Bella looked annoyed as well, making me calm down a little. But just a little. "Mick, you're a nice guy but really, you just watched me make out with Edward. Do you really think that means that I'm looking for a date tomorrow?"

"Um… well, I just thought…" he stuttered, blushing beat-red as well. I had never seen him blush in the two years we had gone to school together. I laughed inwardly to myself.

"I'm sorry but I don't think you were thinking, Mick," she said and turned her back to him. "Now where were we, Edward?"

"I think just about here," I said huskily and leant down to kiss her neck. She moaned and her heart sped up. She stopped breathing. I laughed. "Breathe, my beautiful Bella," I whispered into her ear and she gasped. She knotted her hands into my hair and I leant down to kiss her full on the lips. By now she was sitting in my lap and I was trying hard not to give in and taste her sweet scented blood.

"Ahem," someone coughed loudly.

"What now?" she groaned. She was as frustrated as me that we couldn't kiss for more than a few minutes before being interrupted.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cullen and Miss. Swan, but this is a **school**. Not the place to do **that**!" Mrs. Scott lectured. I could hear Lauren, Jessica and their posse titter at the back of the classroom. I was so distracted by Bella I hadn't heard Mrs. Scott come in. I looked over at Alice who was looking at me apologetically.

"_Sorry, I was on the phone with Jasper," _she thought ruefully.

Mrs. Scott continued to lecture us on our "too public display of affection". I actually thought it was hilarious and looked over at Bella. She didn't seem to find the humor in it. She looked mortified and was blushing furiously.

"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Scott. We will keep that in mind from now on," I said formally once she had finished.

"That's good, Edward. Now everyone the bell is going to ring for lunch in a second so everyone pack up," she called out to the class. No one moved, except just to stand up as no one had took any of their books out. From the class's thoughts, I found that they were surprised that we hadn't been given detention. To be honest I was convinced she was going to give us it as well. All I could tell from her thoughts was that we wouldn't do that again and had learnt our lesson. Mrs. Scott was very strict and handed out them like Mr. Mason handed out homework; a lot.

Then the bell went and everyone rushed out of the room to get to lunch. Bella and I lagged behind, and we were the last people out of the room.

She leant against the corridor wall. "That was embarrassing," she commented.

"Really? I thought it was funny. I wonder why she didn't give us detention," I mused.

"Edward! Are you unconscious of the fact that you dazzle every single person, male or female, human or monkey, that you come across! You dazzled Mrs. Scott," she teased me.

"What? What do you mean I 'dazzle' people?" I asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. "You have to notice the affect you have on people. If you were an evil genius all you would have to do is look at the President and he would do whatever you wanted! If it was anyone else, Mrs. Scott would have given them detention."

I chuckled. "So does that mean I dazzle you?"

"Maybe," she said coyly. I laughed and we walked to the lunchroom together.

We had only known each other for a few days, but it felt like a lifetime. I knew more about her than her parents! And the same with me, I let myself give up all my secrets to this amazing, beguiling person. The only thing now was to tell her about the whole vampire thing. I wasn't looking forward to it.

"So, Edward, are you going to tell me where we're going tomorrow?" she asked me playfully after school had ended. She had been in a happier mood since our free period and she was ecstatic because she hadn't hurt herself - or any of the people around her - in P.E. Granted, she didn't actually **play**. She just watched from the side-lines because of her broken arm but it was a success.

"You'll find out tomorrow," I said evasively. I wanted to keep it a surprise.

She groaned and pouted. I chuckled. When she heard me laughing, she changed her facial expressions so she could glare at me. "Are you laughing at me, Edward Cullen?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"No, Bella. I was just laughing at your monstrosity of a truck you have," I grinned.

"My truck is perfect the way it is!" she stormed off.

I caught up with her easily and said conversationally, "Bella, your truck is over there." I pointed in the opposite direction.

"Oops," she muttered to herself and turned round and walked off towards her car, ignoring me.

"You know I love it when you're in a huff. You look so cute," I said as she reached her car. I could see her smile as she turned her back on me, feeling around in her pockets for her keys.

"Are you going to talk to me ever again? If not, it's going to be very quiet on our date tomorrow."

"I forgive you…" I smiled. "…but only if you apologize to the car," she smirked at me.

"Fine," I huffed. "How should I address it?" I asked Bella.

"It's not an "it", Edward. It's a she. Call it 'Oh Beautiful Goddess of a Car'." she suggested, smiling evilly at me.

I grimaced and turned to her truck. "Oh Beautiful Goddess of a Car, I apologize if I hurt your feelings by calling you a monstrosity of a car. What I said was untrue and was a very unkind thing to say. Can you find it in your metallic heart to forgive me?" I turned back to Bella. "Was that ok?"

"Yes, Edward. She forgives you and so do I," she smiled and kissed me softly on the lips. She got into her car and asked me what time would I pick her up the next day.

"I will be there at about 9:30 in the morning, is that late enough for you? Alice told me to tell you that she'll be there at 9. She'll 'help' you get ready and will take your bag for your sleepover," I replied.

She winced and said sarcastically "I can't wait 'til 9."

I laughed and turned around to walk to my car. "Bye, Bella," I called.

"See ya, Edward." she called back.

I got into my car and turned to Alice as she said innocently, "Have fun apologizing to cars?" She, Jasper and Rose started to laugh hysterically.

"Well, actually, it was fun," I said and joined in their laughter.

"Come on, dear brother, are we ever going to get home?" Alice teased.

I chuckled again and started the car. I couldn't wait until tonight when I would watch - and listen - to Bella sleep.

* * *

**Review!**

**I hope to get the next chapter out later this week, but I might not be able to. **

**WARNING :- Just incase I can't update this week, I will tell you now. I am going to Spain for 2 weeks at the end of the week and won't be able to update while I'm there. I can't get Internet there. Sorry.**

**Luv  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo :)**


	5. Handcuffs & Private Planes? !

**So guess what? I updated before i left! YAY! lol**

**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight**

**I was originally going to do the whole date together.. but I didnt have time so i split it into 2. Plus this was getting kinda long already lol**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed or put story alerts/ favourited. **

**This chapter is dedicated to my Beta who helped me come up with this idea and because she's just really.. amazing! lol (OME! Was it just me or did that sound like I was going to propose to her or something?)**

* * *

**EPOV**

I was sitting on Bella's rocking chair, watching her sleep later that night. I wanted everything to be perfect for our date tomorrow and I was trying to figure out how to say to Bella that I wasn't human. How was I supposed to tell her that I was a creature of the night, a monster made for killing innocent people? How could I make her understand that she shouldn't fear me, that I would rather die than harm her, and about my difference in diet to other normal vampires? The second I mentioned that I was a vampire; she would probably run away and not listen to my explanation.

Bella was peaceful; she was in the middle of a very strange dream concerning a chipmunk, a road trip, and ice. She wasn't aware that I was there or I was in the middle of an argument with myself. A cowardly part of me was trying to convince the rest of me that I shouldn't tell her about my true nature, that I should delay telling her truth as long as possible. Another part of me argued that it was only right that she should know. It was a tough decision, I really wanted to take the coward's way, but I knew that I would have to tell her tomorrow. It was nice trying to pretend I didn't **have **to tell her.

Bella's dream was coming to an end, and barely 5 minutes later she was having the daily nightmare again. She was sobbing and screaming into her pillow and I was trying to control my urge to comfort her. I would find out what tortures her every night and day, and made her move to a place that she detestes.

* * *

I was pacing around my room, it was nearly 9am and I was really nervous. What if she didn't like my surprise?

I decided to get there early; maybe the impossible had happened and Alice only needed to spend an hour on Bella. She had already left for Bella's house, about half an hour ago. I had tried to persuade her to let Bella have some sleep but Alice had shot back that Bella was already awake. I knew that Alice would probably not be finished until 9:30am and not a minute before, but a vampire can wish.

I stopped on the florists on the way there, and found a nice bouquet of flowers to give to her. Sure it was old-fashioned and you usually only give flowers on a special dinner date or whatever but I wanted this day to be special; a day that Bella wouldn't forget.

When I got there, Alice came bounding down the stairs and started to yell at me for coming too early. Bella had to shout down the stairs that Alice better not tell me off again or she would refuse to go shopping with Alice tomorrow. I sat in the kitchen listening to the irritated sounds from Bella coming from upstairs, trying not to burst out laughing. The only thing stopping me was Alice's malice if she knew that I was laughing at her.

At 9:30 on the dot, Alice ran down stairs, jumping excitedly up and down. "Oh my God, Edward, you better catch your breath 'cause Bella's looking amazing today!" she said proudly of her handiwork. I rolled my eyes and turned to the stairs.

There she was; a vision in blue. Her pale skin contrasted against the darkish blue fabric. Her hair was up in a messy bun, but I found out that it had taken ages to create that just-put-on, don't-really-care-how-I-look hairdo. I knew this because Alice was telling me in her thoughts. She had some make-up on but it wasn't overly obvious and looked very natural. She had a heart-shaped silver necklace that could open; I had noticed that she wore it everyday. She had on a blue V-shaped top on that showed off her cleavage but not inappropriately so. It had stars on them and in red writing it said 'Bite Me'. I glared at Alice for the writing. She had on white half-trousers on as well. She was wearing blue pumps to complete the look. She looked absolutely stunning and my mouth fell open in shock. How could she be so desirable?

"What? Do you not like it?" Bella asked self-consciously, noticing me staring at her.

I gulped - my mouth had suddenly gone dry. Which was a ridiculous, I was a vampire for goodness' sake! "You look amazingly beautiful, my love," I told her sincerely.

She blushed furiously and tried to change the subject. "So, can you tell me now what we're going to do today?" she pouted.

"No," I said simply. I walked up to her and gave her the bouquet of Freesias. She blushed again and seemed touched by my gift. I took her hand and kissed it softly, forgetting entirely that Alice was here. All I could see was Bella. I felt like the happiest man alive - or undead, really just depends on how you look at it - in the History of Happiness. Not that there is a History of Happiness but if there was then you can bet I was at the top.

"Ahem," Alice coughed. "I really didn't want to see my brother and my new best friend make out." Her words however were saying the opposite from her thoughts and her facial expressions. She couldn't contain her delight and was congratulating herself on a job well done. I made up my mind in that instant that I would get Alice a really nice present. I would ask her later for what she would want.

Bella was permanently red by now and hid her face in my jacket. I kissed her hair, it smelled really nice. Like Strawberries. We said goodbye to Alice and I held out the car door for Bella to get in. She blushed and I smiled. She was so… adorable!

When we were nearly there, in Port Angeles, I took out a blindfold for Bella. It was blue, of course, and matched perfectly with what Bella was wearing.

"No. N-O! Edward, I am not wearing a blindfold! I'm klutzy enough as it is without the blindfold. What will I be like with one?!" she practically hyperventilated.

I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'll always catch you if you fall. You don't have to worry." She shivered and blushed again. I took advantage of that moment and quickly secured the blindfold around her eyes so she couldn't see anything. She pouted and put her hands up to take it off, but I was already ahead of her. I took out the handcuffs and tied her hands togetherAlice had warned me in advance that I would need them.

"You're kidnapping me?" she asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes but as she couldn't see that, I said sarcastically, "Yes, Bella. That's exactly what I'm going to do. Yes, I befriended you and asked you out here today so I could kidnap you and then murder you. I'll then hide your corpse in the woods. And why did I pick you, well why don't you answer that question since you guessed our plans correct."

"I hate you, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen," she huffed.

"And I love you, Isabella Marie Swan," I answered her, smiling sweetly. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips when I said that.

The rest of the ride Bella refused to speak to me but I wasn't worried, I could tell she wasn't _seriously _mad at me.

When we got there, I opened Bella's door and leaned in and picked her up. She started to protest but I promised her that she would be back on her own 2 feet in no time, and her sight restored. I set her down on the chair after I had got on and took of her blindfold and the habdcuffs.

"Edward! What the hell is this?" she exclaimed.

"It's our date, silly," I smiled at her, seated on the armrest.

"Edward, this is a plane. A private plane," she said slowly.

"Yes, Bella. It is a private plane. Very good," I said slowly as well to annoy Bella. She furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance and hit my shoulder. I pretended to rub my shoulder as if it had hurt, which was impossible. However, Bella was actually hurt.

"God, Edward. What are you made of, steel?" she asked me.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I apologized sincerely. "Are you ok?" I inspected her hand. Luckily it wasn't broken; just bruised. I felt really guilty that I had hurt Bella.

"Edward, it's fine," she rolled her eyes, laughing it of.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're changing the subject. Why are we on a private plane?"

"Well, Bella, usually when you're on a plane you go somewhere."

"Where are we going? Edward, I refuse to go wherever we're going. Do you hear me, I'm leaving right now," she started to get up but she was interrupted by the pilot I had hired.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen. This must be Miss. Swan. You were right, she is very appropriately named," he complimented Bella and kissed her hand. His thoughts were in inappropriate places, concerning Bella. I couldn't help growling softly and glaring at him. Luckily, my growl was too soft for human ears though Steve noticed my glare. "My name is Steve and I am your pilot today. W-w-we'll be taking off momentarily," he stammered as I continued to glare at him. He left the room to go to the cockpit to start the plane, looking nervously back at me.

Bella smirked but then remembering that we were on a plane, she tried to find out where we were going. She threw a fit at how much it must have cost to pay for this; even though I told her money didn't matter to my family. I refused to tell her how much it cost and where we were going.

I didn't want us to argue anymore so I tried something else. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. Her breath caught in her throat and swallowed the next argument that was about to pass her lips. I smiled and turned my lips up her wrist and on to her shoulders. I got to her neck and she started to moan softly. I moaned as well and she moved so I would have better access to her neck. I continued to kiss feather-kisses across her neck like that for several minutes and then I started to kiss every part of her face that I could get my lips on. Finally I moved on to her lips. We were already breathing heavily, both of us though technically I don't even need to breathe. We started to move together with our lips for a few more minutes. I finished with a peck on her lips.

"Hey. Unfair!" Bella gasped out, still breathing heavily. "What were we even talking about earlier?"

I chuckled. "Mission accomplished."

"OK, I will let you take me wherever today as long as you don't do anything like this ever again. I don't care if it's my birthday, Valentine's Day, our honeymoon. Whatever. You can't be trusted not to bring it over the top. God, I'm scared to even think of what you would do if there was an actual occasion!"

"It is an occasion - it's our First Date!" I countered playfully. "And what? Our honeymoon?" One of my eyebrows raised by itself. I was deliriously happy that Bella loved me that much that she was thinking of things like our honeymoon already when we had only met a week ago! She blushed furiously.

"Shut up, Mr. For-The-First-Date-I-Take-Her-Out-Of-The-State-to-a-Mysterious-Place-That-He-Won't-Even-Tell-Her-Where!" she finished all in one breath. I just laughed again. _Silly Bella._

"Patience, my love," I told her. I lifted her on to my lap and we just sat like that, me stroking her hair and her leaning into my chest. I started to hum the song I had composed for her, her lullaby. She was nearly asleep when she was jerked awake by that Steve guy telling us that we were half-way to our destination.

"Hey, Edward, what was that song?" she asked drowsily.

"Oh, it's nothing really, Bella. It's just a song that I composed on the piano," I replied indifferently.

"It's beautiful, Edward. Really beautiful. What was your inspiration?"

"You were, my dear," I said, looking into her eyes. Her eyes filled up with tears. "What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed. _Did I do something wrong?_

"Nothing's wrong. It's just… what did I do to deserve someone like you? Why me?" she wondered.

"Bella, you deserve better than me. I feel so lucky to be loved by you. If anything, it's why **me**?" I said passionately. This beautiful girl was so modest, so self-conscious of herself. She didn't see herself clearly at all. She didn't notice the looks the boys at school gave her; even the 50 year old pilot was already half in love with her!

She blushed. "Me? You're kind, sensitive, romantic, handsome, charming, polite, and every compliment in the world could describe you. You're so generous and look at me. I'm … well average. I'm just a normal teenage girl who somehow hit the jackpot and got lucky!" I raised my eyebrows. I was none of those things - I was a monster. And now was the time to tell her.

"Bella, I've got something to tell you and I'm not sure how you will react," I began nervously. Bella picking up on my jumpiness looked at me warily.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Bella, how do I word this? I'm not normal. I'm not like any of the people at school. My family and I are… different. We have a different life-style, a different diet, and different needs. Bella, I'm not human."

"Then what are you?" she asked me curiously, hardly batting an eye. What the heck, I just told her that I wasn't human and all she asks is what am I? Unbelievable.

"You're not scared?" I asked incredulously.

"Do I have a reason to be? I trust you, Edward," she replied. "In fact I'm relieved; I thought you were going to dump me or something!" She sighed in relief and put her head back to my chest.

"Before I tell you I will say a few things. We are known to be monsters, killers if the night in the movie world. Many of the things used to counteract these creatures don't work on the real thing. My family and I are different from the rest of our kind. We don't kill innocent humans for food. Bella, I'm what you would call a vampire."

* * *

**My next update will be in approx. 2 weeks.. so I'm expecting a lot of reviews by the time i get back! I have to leave in a hour and i still havent finished packing cause i wanted to get this chapter out! **

**Guess where Edward is taking her on their date? **

**Luv  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo  
xXx**


	6. So Seductive

**I'm Back with the new chapter. **

**Disclaimer :- I dont own nothing. **

**This chapter is the date and goes right up to before the sleepover with Alice. **

**This chapter is dedicated to my Dad who read Twilight we were in Spain and wouldn't stop quoting it when he finished. He wouldn't stop saying 'Don't go into the woods alone' lol and 'Amy, you're being tracked' Yeah... it got annoying after the first 100 times he said it.

* * *

**

_Previously:-_

_"…I'm what you would call a vampire."_

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

It was silent for a few minutes as I waited nervously for Bella's reaction. I knew it was inevitable that Bella would react badly and never speak to me again but I still couldn't help hoping fervently that she could somehow be able to see past all the prejudices against vampires. Not that I would blame her if she couldn't.

After all, we weren't **all **monsters. Not Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie,Alice or Jasper. They were just dealt a cruel and unlucky twist of fate. They don't hurt people; they are just trying to make the best of the circumstances. I try to be like them, I really do. But I don't have Carlisle's compassion or his extraordinary control over the bloodlust, Esme's capacity to love, Jasper's reason to resist, Rosalie's pride, or Alice's humanity. I am so grateful that they put up with me - the heartless monster.

They've tried to tell me that I am just as good as the rest of them, even better, but I know they are either lying to make me feel better or blinded by their love for me. I am not worthy of their love or acceptance.

I looked over at Bella. She looked like she was thinking intently, her eyebrows furrowed. I wonder what she's thinking of. Oh I don't know, maybe that she's sitting on a vampire. A beast unworthy of anyone.

"So you don't harm humans?" she checked, asked me quietly, looking me in the eye with her big brown eyes. I blinked as I tried not to get lost in them. And she said _I_dazzled people. She must have been talking about herself because I was the one dazzled.

"No," I assured her anxiously when I finally was able to speak. I tried to decipher her expression but it was a mystery what she was thinking and what she thought of me. Was she mad that I had concealed the truth from her when we first met? Was she scared that I might have organized this whole date, not for her but for her blood? Did she think that I only brought her here to kill her, the pilot and the air hostess that I had hired today? Or maybe she thought that Steve and Lauren were part of the scheme and were in fact vampires as well? Was she terrified for her family and friend's lives? After all she had just heard that at least six vampires lived in Forks alone.

A small shimmer of hope filtered through me when I realized that she was still sitting on my lap. If she was _really_frightened or furious at me, wouldn't she try and put as much distance as possible? Granted we were on a plane, she couldn't really **go **anywhere. Well, unless she decided that she would rather fall to her death than be on the same plane as a vampire.

Stupid! I really hadn't thought this through properly for once. I would usually spend hours agonizing every single possible turn out if I was doing something that could go more than one way. For example, when I came to beg forgiveness on turning my back on the closest person to me I planned out every tiny detail. The person I cared about most who was still alive. The person I thought of as a second father after my biological father's demise. Carlisle.

I thought that he would banish me from his sight after what I had done. I deserved it. I had murdered innocent people. Well, they weren't that innocent. In fact, quite the opposite. They were the humans that were monsters. They murdered. But that was - is - no excuse. Carlisle had saved me from death, and I had rejected him and went against his beliefs.

I also thought that maybe, because Carlisle was so compassionate, always thinking of others, that he might, after listening to my apologies, forgive me. Not that he would actually have fully forgiven me. That would be impossible. Just said that to make me feel better and lessen the guilt that he shouldn't have to carry. Father's guilt. Although he wouldn't let me stay with them again. That would be too much to hope for. Maybe suggest that I go and stay with the Denali coven. Sort myself out. Maybe in a few decades he could see I had changed and welcome me back with open arms.

I never thought that he would forgive me so easily and so whole-heartedly. No, that was a lie. I had thought of it, wished that somehow he would realize that I didn't want to be a monster anymore and without him and Esme - my family - there was no reason for me to exist. My biological parents were dead. All my human friends and family were as well. So were all my hopes and ambitions that I had had when I was a human teenage boy and more importantly - Bella (or so I had thought). The truth was she hadn't died, she just wasn't born yet.

I realized that telling her on the plane wasn't the best plan I had had. In fact it was a very bad plan. She probably feels under pressure now and not being able to run from me, if that was what she wanted. This is all my fault. I should have done it before we got on the plane.

This just showed that I wasn't right all the time. Some of my decisions should have been thought through more.

Bella shifted on my lap so she was now completely turned to me. "Well, that explains a lot," she commented, looking me in the eye. I must have looked confused because she added, "I mean that you're a vampire."

I was momentarily thrown by how she so casually said that I was a vampire. Just as if she was commenting about the weather. So calm.

I had thought that I hid what I was so well. My whole family. I was surprised, to say the least, that Bella had noticed something odd about us. Well, apart from the fact that we kept ourselves to ourselves and all normal humans felt uneasy in our presence. But why should it surprise me? Just yesterday I had found myself thinking how observant she was. I asked her what she meant by that.

"Well, I've noticed that your eyes change color. Some days they're a golden color. Topaz. Other days they are a darker color, an onyx color. Then you're _always_very careful around me when they turn onyx. Actually you're careful with everything and everyone. As if you could destroy them without even putting any effort into it. Like you're hiding some super strength ability. Edward the Superman!" I chuckled at that. She laughed as well. "You also talk differently," she continued. "More old-fashioned. Polite and gentlemanly. It reminds me of the way people talked at the start of the 1900s or something. I don't believe that you're **just **seventeen, Edward. Also I've never seen you eat. At lunchtime you buy food but never eat it. It's the same with all your family."

I couldn't believe it. She had noticed all this and she still hadn't panicked and ran. She never stopped and thought 'Hang on a second. Maybe Edward is dangerous,' even when I told her the truth. She just acted like boys told her that they were vampires everyday. Was she crazy?! She was certainly acting like she was.

What am I doing now? I should be happy - ecstatic! - that Bella took this so well. I shouldn't be questioning her sanity; I should be declaring my love for this amazing, unbelievable girl! Sure, she must be mad but I'm a vampire for goodness sake! I have no right to complain. I wouldn't change any part of Bella. There was nothing in her - her appearance, her personality - that I could find any fault in. She was perfect and I loved every part of her perfection.

"You're really okay with this then?" I asked her doubtfully.

"Edward, I love you. Unconditionally and irrevocably. So you're a vampire. Big deal. You don't hurt humans and you're definitely not a monster. You're the exact opposite of that. You're an amazing, good person - the best," she said irritably and then she kissed me.

I didn't even have time to tell her I loved her back. But she knew that I did through our kiss. We kissed for ages, I was in heaven with my Bella. I thought that I couldn't get any happier after I met Bella. I didn't realize until now but the truth was - I was always conscious of the fact that when Bella found out that I was a vampire then she would leave me. Now that I told her and she still accepted me, I felt complete. She loved me the way I was for some reason and I would love her for that fact alone for all eternity. The only thing was that I could never let my guard down when I was with her. If I forgot for one second that she was human and that I had to be really careful with her, then she could die. I could touch her too hard and she could break something. And it wasn't just that she was so fragile, there was also the matter of her blood. I was so attracted to it; what if one day I couldn't resist it anymore and I… No, I can't think like that.

I could tell Bella was a little bit frustrated by how I was so careful about her. I think she wouldn't mind if I was… rougher when we kissed. But it was too risky. I think she understands though why I'm so careful.

She was so beautiful, inside and out. How had I lived before her?

The truth was - I hadn't. I merely existed. I wasn't complete - a half of what I am now since I met Bella. My family had already noticed the positive change in me!

The rest of the journey was spent talking with Bella. Now that she knew the truth I could tell her everything. Well, maybe I wouldn't tell her _everything_. Not all the gory details that would probably change her mind about her nonchalance concerning what I am. I told her about what I remembered of my human life, meeting Carlisle and being changed by him, briefly about how the rest of my family had became the now bigger Cullens. I told her how I had dreamt about her during the 3 day change or remembered the dream when I needed comfort.

She surprised me by opening up about her past a little bit. She still hadn't told me everything, just a little bit to shed a bit of light on her behavior. She revealed that when she was living in Phoenix, she went through a very unhappy period. She had also dreamt about me. She didn't say much more than that though; even when I asked her to tell me. She had tears in her eyes as she told me she 'couldn't'.

I didn't press her. If I did, it would only distress her even more and I didn't want that. Maybe when we went to Phoenix next weekend, I could find out more. Maybe talk to some of her friends and her mother.

Why was she so secretive though? It drove me mad. I couldn't read her mind so I had to rely completely on what she said. And the moment I mentioned anything before moving to Forks, she closed up. She always edited her words.

And why the peculiar choice of words - couldn't? Not wouldn't or 'I don't want to talk about it'. What was she hiding about her past and why 'could' she not tell me? Was someone threatening her?

I was about to ask her why she couldn't tell me anyways in case she did decide that she was sick of all the secrecy. I wasn't very hopeful. But then the air hostess I had hired for catering to Bella's needs came in to tell us that we would be landing in ten minutes. I thanked her for informing us, dismissing her so I could return my full attention back to Bella. However the air hostess - Lauren I think she said her name was - wouldn't leave. She was staring at Bella and I and thinking very untrue and negative things about Bella. Lauren was also thinking very inappropriate thoughts about me. I won't go into details but let's just say it involved her, me, a lot of cream and the cockpit of the plane.

Lauren finally left after I started to kiss Bella softly on the neck and Bella started to moan. She was aware of Lauren's presence in the room and had figured out my plan to make Lauren uncomfortable so she would leave. You see, Bella doesn't need words; it is like she can read _my_mind. She always seems to know what I'm thinking. She's very perceptive.

Finally we landed and I organized with Steve that they would come back to collect us at 7 o'clock this evening to fly us back. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to arrange another pilot (preferably one that doesn't fantasize about my Bella. But I understand if that is just impossible) and another air hostess (one who doesn't badmouth Bella just because she's jealous of Bella's beauty and personality) for returning. It was too late notice.

Once we got off the plane, Bella gasped.

"You didn't!?" she exclaimed, gob-smacked. She walked forward and looked at what I had arranged and her eyes started to fill up with tears.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?" I questioned her anxiously. My hands found their way to her face and they softly caressed her cheeks where a couple of tears had escaped her eyes.

"No, I love it. It's just so beautiful and it must have cost you a fortune and-" she said, her face red from the blush that had gathered in her cheeks where I stroked her.

"Don't worry about the cost," I interrupted. "It's fine. My family has more money than we could ever need. No more talk on who I spend some of it on," I scolded her but unable to stop the grin that crossed my face on how she liked - no, **LOVED **- it.

She smiled in reply but then a thought crossed her. "But what about the sun? I thought vampires couldn't stand sunlight?!" she gasped, looking horrified and tried to shade me from it. She obviously hadn't noticed that we were in the shade already. And forgotten what I told her about how Hollywood isn't right about vampires' weaknesses. We were sheltered under a big canopy with a two bags on a table in the center. Beside the table were two chairs and also two deck chairs stacked up. I couldn't help but let out guffaws of laughter at Bella's absurdity. She had looked so panicked and her useless attempts at protecting me… Hilarious.

Bella wasn't amused. "What?" she demanded, her eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Bella, for one thing we're in the shade already," I said, pointing to the canopy. "And for another - vampires aren't harmed by the sun! We're not harmed by crosses either," I stopped abruptly so I could laugh again.

Bella, however, didn't like me laughing at her but then seeing the humor in it, couldn't resist a couple of chuckles escaping from her lips. When we had finally got our laughter under control, Bella quipped, "How was I supposed to know? Better safe than sorry."

"You're right. I'm sorry. Why don't I tell you about what happens when vampires do go into the sun?"

She nodded and said, "Ok, but first tell me where we are."

"We're on a beach."

"Well, I can see that! But _where_is this beach?"

"It's a private beach in South Carolina, Carlisle bought this beach a while back so we could go here and not have to worry about other people seeing us. The area is near enough deserted, except from another private beach like this one which belongs to this multibillionaire but neither him or his family have been here in a decade. But even if they did come here, they're too far to see us," I told her. I looked at the place I hadn't been in five years. It hadn't changed much - same soft sand, same strong waves, same soft wind, and same beach house for when we stayed for a few weeks.

I led her to the table where the two bags were. One said Bella and the other Edward. I looked inside mine. There was a swimsuit, a towel, sunglasses, keys to the beach house and change of clothes for the evening. Trust Alice. She had left a note saying that Bella's lunch was in the fridge in the beach house. I ran (at vampire speed) inside and ran back. Bella looked shocked at how fast I was and took the plate of me wordlessly and sat down.

Once she took a bite off of her lunch, she started to recover and said, "Another one of your abilities?" I had already told her about my mind-reading on the plane.

"Yes. Is the food ok?"

"It's really good. So you still haven't told me about what happens to vampires when they go into the sun," she teased me.

"Why don't I show you?" I said and walked to the edge of the canopy. I looked around to see that Bella was watching me curiously. I must have been so fast when getting her lunch that she hadn't seen me in the sun yet.

I undid the buttons on my shirt and took it off. I could hear Bella's gasp and could feel her gaze on me. I smiled to myself and walked into the sun. Bella gasped even louder when she saw me and when I looked back at her, I could see the wonder in her eyes. Our eyes met and we stayed like that for a few minutes, just looking at each other. Bella was holding the sandwich halfway to her mouth.

Finally I walked back to her and sat back down. She continued with her lunch and I told her about all the popular beliefs about vampires that were wrong. Like the whole "vampires sleep in coffins" thing. I told her how we didn't sleep at all. She was very interested about it.

Once she had finished with her lunch I showed her around the house. The beach house was very big for a beach house but we needed room for all of Alice's clothes and rooms of our own. We all had separate rooms with en suites; we didn't call them bedrooms as we didn't need beds though Alice and Rosalie had four-poster beds anyways. We also had two studies, one for Carlisle and the other one for Jasper. There was also an identical piano to the one I have in Forks so I could play when I was here. We have a big sitting room where we have a massive TV and a few bookshelves full of DVDS. In my room here at the beach house, I don't have much CDs as usual when we stay here I bring them with me. We also have a small library for reading material when we're here. Bella was stunned at how big the beach house was and joked that if this was our holiday home then my house in Forks must be the biggest house in the whole state.

Once I was finished with the tour, we got changed into our swimsuits so that we could go into the sea for a while. I was waiting by the door for her when she came down. She was wearing a bikini that didn't leave much to the imagination in the same color as the clothes she was wearing earlier. There was red writing like this morning on the … back of her bikini bottoms. It said "Only a vampire can love you forever' with vampire and forever in bigger writing. I noticed Bella's discomfort of her appearance and complimented her. She was stunning. I wasn't lying but Bella seemed to think so but I managed to convince her.

We went into the sea and just played around for a few hours. Luckily, she was able to get a water-proof cast for her arm but she still couldn't use her arm properly. Bella really enjoyed the sea; she really seemed to glow when on the beach.

When we got out, I unfolded the deck chairs so Bella could just sit in the sun and dry of. We joked around for a while and then we started kissing.

At half five, we went back into the beach house so that we could get changed for dinner. Bella was grumbling about what Alice had got her to wear for dinner; she thought that it was too dressy. Bella thought that we were just going to get dinner in the kitchen.

In actual fact, I had secretly hired a famous chef and a bunch of waiters to make and serve the food. I kept Bella busy as they dressed up the canopy for dinner and made the dinner. I had found out one of Bella's favorite food and had got the chef to make it.

Once Bella had finished dressing for dinner, she came to the library where I was. I was trying to find a book that Jasper had asked if I would bring back. He had forgotten it when he was last here with Alice two weeks ago.

I turned around when I heard her come in. This time she was in a dress that reached a few inches above her knee. Surprisingly she was in the same shade of blue as earlier on. This blue must be Alice's favorite color on Bella at the moment (Not that I'm complaining. She looks amazing in blue). This time the red writing was 'Real Men Sparkle' and the writing had glitter all over it.

Bella pointed to the writing and asked, "How does she do that? It's like she knows what we're doing today. How did she know that you would tell me on the plane about you being a vampire? "

"You know the way I can read minds. Well, Alice also has a special gift. She has visions of the future."

"Oh right. That explains a lot!" she said as came over to see the book that I had in my hands. "Oh, has this to do with Jasper's obsession with that Civil War?"

"What?" I asked.

"Remember when Alice tried to guilt me into going to Phoenix with you next weekend?" she said.

"Oh yeah, that," I laughed.

Bella was looking around at the books when my phone vibrated. I had asked the chef that when he was ready with the dinner to phone me.

"Time to go have some dinner," I announced. We went down and I steered her out the front door.

"Where are we going?" she asked me suspiciously.

"Nowhere," I answered innocently. She gave me a look that said 'Yeah, right'.

She gasped when she saw the canopy now covered with flowers and a candle on the table. It was set for two and there was a waiter standing at the edge with the set menu for Bella.

"Edward, you really go all out don't you?" she said to me as we sat down. She looked at the menu. "I love the paella but I bet you already knew that," she teased.

"Well, maybe it was just a lucky guess," I shot back.

The waiter walked over and poured Bella and me each a glass of juice. Another waiter walked over with our starters and set it down. They went back into the kitchen to give us some privacy.

Bella started on her starter and ate it all while I just watched her. I offered her mine as I certainly didn't want to eat it but I didn't want to be rude by leaving it untouched. Bella laughed and took half of it of my plate. I was glad that she seemed to like it.

"Can I ask you a question?" she requested once she had finished both our starters and the waiter had retrieved them so he could serve the next course.

"Fire away."

"It's a hypothetical question actually," she said, looking very uncomfortable. "Say you were in love with this person and you really wanted to tell this person something - something really bad that you did - but you were afraid that they would reject you. You were afraid that they would hate you for what you did. What would you do?"

I was really confused, to say the least. What was she talking about? I sensed that she wasn't talking hypothetically. It sounded like the struggle I went through with myself whether I should tell Bella or not about me being a vampire. About my rebellion stage. "If I really loved this person-"

"Let's call this person Edmund," she interrupted.

"Well," I smiled. "If I really loved Edmund and I wanted them to know what I did then I would tell them. Yes, it would be a gamble to tell that person if it was really terrible but if he really loved you, he would forgive you. Especially if Edmund had done things that he wasn't proud of either. However I think this person - do you have a name for this person?"

"Yes, her name is Betty."

"However I think Betty is over-thinking this and by being honest with Edmund, you will be even closer. I think Edmund would really like to know everything about Betty, even if it was terrible. I think Edmund loves Betty unconditionally and nothing she could do or say would change that."

She considered my answer and was silent as she thought about it. Maybe she would tell me now. She looked like she was about to speak when a smiling waiter came with the main meal. The moment was gone.

Bella started to eat and complimented the food. We continued to share some small-talk as she ate.

I looked around; the waiters were gone and were busy in the kitchen looking at a _Playboy _magazine. I couldn't believe that women would want to be photographed in such little apparel in 'seductive' poses. It was ludicrous. I was disgusted at the waiters' display. I was tempted to go in and tell them off about their behavior. If my biological mother had seen how supposedly 'gentlemen' behaved these days, she would be so appalled. My mother had raised me to behave like a gentleman always; especially when I was around ladies. One of the few memories I remember is her telling me that she would rather that I was a stupid gentleman than a very intelligent rude pig.

But I could work their obvious distraction to my advantage. I told Bella I would be back in a second and took my plate and went into the beach house. I threw the food in the bin and got a top from my small wardrobe of clothes that I kept here all the time. I ripped the shirt and put it on top of the food so that if one of the waiters or, God forbid, the chef had to throw something in the bin and wouldn't see the food underneath.

I went back to Bella, who had finished her plate by then. She rubbed her stomach happily and commented, "That was excellent. The best I've ever tasted. It's a lucky thing the chef's just hired for the night otherwise I would have to worry about my weight! I bet Alice would be ecstatic though if I didn't fit into my clothes anymore. It would mean more shopping for her and a whole new wardrobe!"

I laughed and asked her if she was up to dessert.

"Of course! More of this cooking… can't wait!" I chuckled at her obvious enthusiasm.

Maybe I could hire the chef full-time if he wasn't too busy with all his cooking shows. Or maybe ask him for some cooking lessons to impress Bella with. Or I could just hire him once a night. Bella was too thin; she could do with going up a dress size. And like she said, Alice would be delighted with all the extra shopping.

After ten more minutes of us talking and the waiters still crowded around that damn _Playboy _magazine, I decided to go and tell them that I didn't appreciate them neglecting their employers of the night. They scattered and immediately two of them went to collect the dishes together, bumping into each other in their haste to get back into my good books for the possibility of a tip for them. The other two apologized profusely trying to lay the blame on 'Johnny', one of the waiters who had gone outside to collect the plates. He had been the one who had brought the _Playboy _in, even though one of the waiters in front of me was the one who had brought it out first. They even had the audacity to suggest that I could have the _Playboy _for myself to look at when 'the chick is gone'. They couldn't even remember her name except that she was 'hot' and couldn't even refer to her as something not related to a farm animal. No respect.

I addressed them all coldly, lecturing them on how they needed to learn some respect and that their girlfriends or wives should be cherished not because of their appearance, but because of their personality. I don't think it did much good though, if what they were saying in their minds was anything to go by.

I returned to Bella who was looking on amusedly at the sight of all the waiters trying to butter me up so that I could give good references to all my other 'rich friends'. They all thought that I was some kind of multibillionaire's heir who was full of himself.

The dessert arrived and Bella really liked it. It was Hot Chocolate Fudge Cake. Bella's favorite.

The waiters continued to be good throughout dessert but now that they had no half naked girls to look at, they started trying to imagine Bella naked. This hardly helped my mood; I was tempted to actually go looking for them later on tonight when Bella would no doubt be busy with Alice at their sleepover. In the end, I decided that none of them would get a tip and I would _never_hire them again. They were very lucky.

They all packed up and left after I paid them. They were annoyed that they didn't get a tip but that's their fault. I brought Bella back to the library after I said she could borrow some books. As she was studying our selection I slipped out to talk to the chef.

I asked him about the whole one day a week idea but unfortunately he was happy with staying on cooking shows at the moment. He did say though that he would happy to cater for us another time and said that he would be happy to give me some cooking lessons. We agreed on a time later on this week on Wednesday after school.

I went back up to Bella after he had left, to tell her that Steve and Lauren had returned to collect us. Joy.

Luckily though, Steve had learned on the journey to that I didn't appreciate him eyeing up Bella and stayed in the cabin the whole journey. Lauren, however, wasn't as intelligent to realize this and even slipped me her phone number and told me to dump Bella, and that I deserved better. And she obviously assumed that she was in my 'league' or that is what she called it. I don't know what she meant though.

Someone is delusional. How could she think I would play girls and never go out with them unless they had a great body? How could she even consider the idea that she was better than Bella, that she was prettier and I deserved better? That I would go out with Bella just because of her looks? She must of meant when she said my 'league' that Bella was too good for me. Yeah, that must be what she meant.

We arrived back in Port Angeles and I drove back to my house. It was a comfortable silence in the car; we didn't need to fill up every silence with uncomfortable small talk. We were comfortable around each other and knew that we could trust each other.

As the house came into view, Bella gaped at the house and gasped quietly. I laughed inwardly to myself at Bella's reaction. I was just opening Bella's door as Alice opened the door, clapping delightedly and yelling "They're back!" Not like any of the family hadn't already heard my car.

I took Bella's hand as we walked towards the house. "What if they don't like me?" she whispered in my ear anxiously.

I looked at her in disbelief. Who wouldn't like Bella? I couldn't believe that she was concerned about my family not liking her. Oh, them being vampires, that's nothing. I couldn't help questioning her sanity once again.

Nevertheless, I put my arm around her waist and told her that they would be fools if they didn't and that they loved her already. I told her that Carlisle and Esme wouldn't care if she had webbed feet; Bella made me happy and that was enough for them to love her like their own daughter.

We walked in and Alice hugged Bella, telling her that they were going to have the best sleepover ever. I rolled my eyes at Alice's display.

"Edward!" called Esme from the living room.

_"Oh yeah, everyone's in there. They have been in there for over an hour waiting for you. Esme can't wait to meet Bella!"_ thought Alice, filling me in.

I brought Bella to the door and looked in. I nearly burst out laughing at the scene I saw. They were all trying to appear nonchalant, even though we hardly ever were in this room in the evenings. Jasper was reading a book, Rosalie was looking at a fashion magazine with Alice on the floor and Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the love seat watching TV.

Esme got up with Carlisle by her side. She walked over to us beaming at the sight of Bella and me, my hand around her waist. "You must be Bella. Edward hasn't stopped talking about you since he met you!" she exclaimed. After a moment's hesitation she put her arms around Bella carefully, making me let go of Bella in the act. Bella seemed surprised by the hug but in a good way.

"I'm happy to meet you. Your house is beautiful, Mrs. Cullen," she said.

"Call me Esme. And I assure you the pleasure is all mine."

Carlisle, Esme and Bella fell easily into conversation. Rosalie ignored Bella and walked out of the room. Jasper and Alice were talking to each other at the other side of the room.

After about 10 minutes of chat, I was growing impatient. I wanted to show Bella my room and find out what she thought of Esme. As if Esme had read my mind, she said, "Edward, I'm sure Bella would like to see your room."

"Yeah," Bella agreed, "goodbye everyone."

I was expecting Alice to moan that I was stealing Bella. She had said earlier that the moment Bella stepped through the front door of our house; it was the start of the sleepover. Well, I wasn't complaining.

We went up the stairs and I named the rooms as they passed them. I opened the door to my room and she looked around. I looked around at the familiar wardrobe, couch and of course my CD selection.

She turned around. "Your room is really nice," she complimented. I joined her where she was standing looking at the different CDs I had. There were several albums of mine that she had as well.

"What are you listening to at the minute?" she asked me.

"I'll show you," I went over to my CD player and pressed play. I had been listening to River Flows in You by Yiruma this morning.

But that wasn't what came out of my speakers…

_Yeah...Uh huhSo seductiveI'll take you to the candy shopI'll let you lick the lollipopGo 'head girl, don't you stopKeep going 'til you hit the spot (woah)_

_I'll take you to the candy shop__Boy one taste of what I gotI'll have you spending all you gotKeep going 'til you hit the spot (woah)You can have it your way, how do you want itYou gon' back that thing up or should i push up on itTemperature rising, okay lets go to the next levelDance floor jam packed, hot as a teakettleI'll break it down for you now, baby it's simpleIf you be a nympho, I'll be a nymphoIn the hotel or in the back of the rentalOn the beach or in the park, it's whatever you intoGot the magic stick, I'm the love doctorHave your friends teasing you 'bout how sprung I gotchaWanna show me how you work it baby, no problemGet on top then get to bouncing round like a low riderI'm a seasons vet when it come to this shitAfter you work up a sweat you can play with the stickI'm trying to explain baby the best way I canI melt in your mouth girl, not in your hands (ha ha)I'll take you to the candy shopI'll let you lick the lollipopGo 'head girl, don't you stopKeep going 'til you-_

I turned it off abruptly and yelled "Alice!"

Bella was standing there, her cheeks red.

Alice came through the door and took Bella's hand and dragged her out of the room. "THAT'S FOR STEALING BELLA!" she yelled and started laughing evilly. "Come on, Bella," she said, now talking normally. "It's SLEEPOVER TIME!"

* * *

**So what do you think? I made it extra long to make up for the 2 weeks of no updates! I dont think it was my best chapter, mainly because some of it was written when i was sick on holiday (long story, i was sick for the first whole week in Spain) and the rest written when I was REALLY tired. lol**

**Oh yeah, the song was Candyshop by 50Cent**

**Review! I've been stuck in the 20s for ages (number of reviews) so I want to get at least into the 30s. But even if I don't I'll still update when I've finished the next chapter (The sleepover). I hate it (no offence to anyone) when people have got the next chapter all written but won't post until they've got a particular amount of reviews. Sorry if anyone took any offence :P**

**Luv,  
Smile!EdwardLuvsYhoo :)  
xXx**


	7. I Kissed A Girl

**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight. Or Edward. But I plan to steal him off Bella… (evil laugh)**

**Ok, I'm sorry it took so long! I started a new fan fiction so you guys could read that once you've finished with this chapter. It's called The Best You Never Had and what happens is Bella has lived in Forks all her life when her parents break up and she has to move away with her mom. But before she leaves she tells Edward, her best friend, that she loves him but he tells her he doesn't love her. 3 years later, she's a world famous actress/singer/songwriter and Edward has come back into her life to tell her he lied. But Bella tells him it's too late… she's got a job she loves, a boyfriend who adores her, and has finally accepted that Edward is out of her league and will never love her. The Cullens are still vampires and I got the idea from the Leona Lewis song "The Best You Never Had". **

**Oh. My. Edward! Can I just say and I think I speak for all of us here, that in the new Twilight Trailer, James is HOT HOT HOT!! Not to mention Edward (swoon) I'm sorry, I first saw it last Thursday and I still haven't got over how hot they are. The only thing is - they didn't have Jasper and THE Hair in it! Lol I'm obsessed with Jasper's hair… it's just so HOT!! Lol I just reread this and I've said hot so many times in it!**

**On another note, all the Breaking Dawn Teaser Quotes are driving me CRAZY! I just can't wait until I can get my hands on Breaking Dawn sobs **

**This chapter is in ALICE'S POV!! Yay! I love Alice, she's one of my fav Cullens. Edward is my first, Jasper's hair (on second thoughts his head as well, otherwise it's just… hair. Jasper's head with THE hair … Need I say more?) is my second, closely followed by Emmett, Alice and the rest of Jasper :P I don't think I did Alice well though. ****:P**** Ah well!**

**Hopefully the chapter is alright (fingers crossed)

* * *

**

_Previously:-_

_Come on Bella," I said excitedly. "IT'S SLEEPOVER TIME!"_

**Chapter 6**

**APOV**

I picked Bella up and ran at vampire-speed to my room. I sat her down on the bed and then went back to the door. I could hear Edward complaining to Jasper about me. He was angry. Well haha, I've got Bella! "Rose!" I called.

"What?" she came to the door with a very annoyed expression on her face.

"Come on, Rose," I said at vampire-speed so Bella wouldn't be able to hear. "Bella's part of the family now, whether you like it or not. So you better get used to it! She's really nice and I don't see why you don't like her. It's a Cullen Girly Sleepover and it won't be the same without you!" I put on my sad face.

"Ok," she grumbled. "But I'm still not happy with it." Oh yeah, no one can resist my sad puppy face.

Bella was looking at us curiously. Rose and I met each others eyes and turned in unison back to Bella. "Don't worry Bella, we won't hurt you," Rose smirked as Bella cowered away from us.

"It's make-over time!" I squealed and clapped my hands.

"No! Torture!" Bella shrieked as I got out my makeup kit and Rose had reached her.

I had a vision of Edward breaking down the door when we were in the middle of the makeover to steal Bella. "Edward! Don't you dare come in here or I swear you're car is getting a makeover and I'll mess up your CDs! What do you think, Rose, if we painted his car a nice pink with polka dots?"

"Oh yes," she grinned. "Excellent idea."

"Dammit!" I heard him growl downstairs.

"Jazzy, distract him. Why don't you guys go hunting?" I ordered him.

"Fine," I heard Edward grumble.

"That's a good boy," I cooed and then went back to Bella and Rose. Rose was in the middle of putting on some mascara on Bella.

"You do hair, I'll do makeup," Rose ordered. I smiled, maybe Rose and Bella could be friends.

We talked and laughed as we worked. Bella even said that it wasn't that bad. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to ask us about us being vampires that she hadn't asked Edward yet.

"How do your visions work?" she asked.

I explained it all to her. After we finished with playing Barbie Bella, Bella was looking really hot, if I do so say myself. Rose agreed with me. We had all changed into the pajamas I had bought earlier on this week. Bella complained saying that why did I buy three pair of a hundred dollar pajamas when two thirds of us couldn't even sleep but that was Bella.

I wondered what we should now. I looked at the list I had put together for ideas what to do on a normal **human **sleepover.

"Prank calls!" I announced cheerily and got my phone from on the bed. I blocked my number so the people we prank called didn't know it was us. "Who first?" I asked a wary Bella.

"I know - Mick!" Rose cackled. She really didn't like him. Bella grinned despite her effort not to encourage us. She was finally loosening up.

I put it the phone on speaker and dialled his number. "What are you going to say?" Bella whispered as we waited for him to pick up.

"Hey," Mick answered, he sounded very weird. He was trying to imitate the velvety voice that we had. After Bella chose Edward over him, he's been trying to look and act more like Edward. It wasn't working.

Rose was shaking with silent laughter. "Oh my God, he is such a loser.".

"Hello, is Mick there?" I said in a German accent.

"Yes. Who is this?" he sounded confused. Bella got a pillow so it would stifle her laugh.

Rose and I sang into the phone a German folk song. We ended with 'Congratulations in Coming Out Of The Closet!' in English and then we hung up.

"That was funny!" Bella laughed. "Can you just imagine his face?"

"Yeah," I cackled. "Ok, who next?"

"Hmmmmm, any ideas, Bella?" Rose said. Yes, I can just see a friendship flourishing. She's being **civil **to Bella! That's the first stage. Talking to each other!

Bella seemed surprised by Rose's attentive attitude towards herself. "I know." She went and got her bag. She got out her phone and said, "There's this boy in Phoenix that was as annoying as Mick - if not more! - we should prank him." **(A/N Mike!)**

We rang him up and this time, we pretended to be prostitutes phoning a 'client' and telling him what we would do to him when he 'comes' tomorrow night. We were so vivid that I think Bella will be permanently red and if we were humans, I bet Rose would be blushing too.

After Mick and Mike, we phoned the girl who had hit on Edward on the plane, some other people at school and Edward. Edward, of course knowing it was us, wasn't happy to say the least. Ah well.

After that we played Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Kiss, Promise or Command. We started of with Bella. "So Bella, Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Kiss, Promise or Command?"

"Hmmm… I'm going to say … Promise."

I was disappointed that she hadn't picked Truth or Dare. Or even Kiss. "Ok, you have to promise to… go up to Mick on Monday morning and tell him that you think he's really hot but you're a lesbian."

Rose snorted. "Um… two problems, for one - Mick is the farthest away from hot ever and for another, I'm going out with your brother. Not your sister. A boy. And what kind of Promise is this? It's more like a dare…" Bella said slowly as if talking to a child.

"Are you kidding me? Mick has a certain … charm about him," I pulled a face to show I was joking, "You have to do it. And did you forget Edward isn't a boy, he's over a century old virgin vampire. Anyways, he's such a girl."

Bella choked on the piece of chocolate she had been eating. "Edward is not a girl!" she defended him. Awwww, how cute.

Rose snorted. "Are you sure about that, Bella?" she asked.

"What we mean is, look at the facts. He's totally a teenage girl trapped in a vampire boy's body! He has mood-swings, he hates himself, his hormones are all over the place and he doesn't like blood - and really which girl does like blood? Periods are so annoying. Not just for humans, poor Jazzy has to put up with the extra bloodlust even if it does smell stale and we all know that girls are even more hormonal during their period," I listed.

"Still…"

"You're doing it. Rose, Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Kiss, Promise or Command?"

"Do you even have to ask? Dare, of course!" she said.

"Ok … I dare you to kiss the next single vampire you meet, and you have to go on one date at least. Vegetarian or not." **( A/N - Remember this ;) ;) ) **

"Fine. But it must be male. Tongues?" Rose said offhandedly.

"Yes and you have to kiss him for at least five minutes and as soon as you meet them," I grumbled. I was actually hoping that she didn't say it had to be a male, it would be funny if she made out with a girl.

"Alice, Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Kiss, Promise or Command?" Rose and Bella chorused together deviously.

"Hmm …" if I do dare, you can bet that Rose will do something really bad, because of my dare for her. Nothing annoys her more than having to kiss some guy who only cares about what she looks like. But if I don't pick Dare, then Rose will tell everyone how wimpy I am. Unless … I pick Double Dare and pick Bella to be my partner then she can't do anything too crazy. Right? "I pick Double Dare. And I'm doing it with Bella. "

Rose looked slightly disappointed. "Are you sure you want to?" Bella asked desperately. "Are you sure that you don't want to do Dare?"

"Yep, I'm sure," I beamed at her, chuckling.

"Just fantastic," she muttered.

"So what do we have to do?" I asked Rose.

"Hmmm… you have to go downstairs when Jasper and Edward are back and tell them that you're sorry but you can't fight your feelings any longer. You have to tell them that you two love each other and then you have to make out for **six **minutes. But you have to make it as authentic as possible so Alice, Bella you both have to feel love for each other and Alice has to make sure that she's thinking things like 'Oh my God, Bella is so hot!' Ok?"

"No. I am not doing that," Bella said firmly and blushed beet-red.

"Don't you want to make out with me?" I pouted. "Am I not cute enough for you? It'll be funny to see their reactions… I thought you loved me." I put on my best sad puppy face and looked pleadingly into her eyes.

"Ugh… stop it Alice. You know that I can't resist your sad face," she groaned and hid her face in the pillow. I laid down beside her and poked her side. She turned over to look at me. Big mistake. I put on my sad face again but this time I sniffled miserably as well to add effect.

"Fine," she groaned. "I'll do it, just please don't give me that sad face again!"

I grinned, my sad face forgotten and jumped up and down on the bed. "This is going to be soooo fun!" I whispered so that Carlisle and Esme didn't hear me. If they heard our plans then Edward would hear it from their thoughts. It was a good thing that they weren't paying attention anyways if what I heard from downstairs was any indication.

I know! I could tell Esme so she could help us with it. With her involved we could make it much more realistic. I ran downstairs and asked if I could talk to Esme in private. I told her the Dare and although Esme thought it was a bit mean on the 'poor boys', she agreed to help us.

"Let's go around once more while we wait for them to come back," Rosalie suggested when I got back. We nodded, me enthusiastically, Bella unwillingly. This is sooooo much fun!

I had a vision - Edward and Jazzy would be back in exactly 2 minutes 13 seconds and 99 milliseconds.

"No time for another round," I said sadly though Bella looked very happy at the news. "They'll be here in about two minutes." Bella's face looked horrified.

"Oh, God. That soon!" she squeaked.

I chuckled; she looked like she had just watched her family die. "Don't worry, Bella. We won't ambush them the second they arrive!" I rolled my eyes playfully. "We'll wait five minutes but they can't know we're playing Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Kiss, Promise or Command otherwise they'll put two and two together."

"So does that mean we don't have to play anymore even after we do the Double Dare?" she asked hopefully. I shook my head at her innocence, she really had no idea what she was getting into when she fell in love with a Cullen.

"One second," Rose said all of a sudden and ran out of the room vampire-speed. I saw what she was doing in a vision. "Excellent idea, Rose!"

She came back with a DVD in her hand. Bella sighed in relief but then gasped in horror when she saw what it was. "Oh no, Rosalie. I can't stand scary horror films!"

Rose and I laughed evilly. "Sorry, Bella, but we love them!"

"Fine, but don't expect me to watch it. I'll be hiding under the bed!" Bella said.

"But isn't that where monsters usually go? Don't they go under the bed?" Rose countered.

Bella squeaked like a frightened mouse and said, "Ok, maybe not under the bed but I'll hide in the bathroom!"

"Bella, please watch it with us," I pouted. "Please? Don't worry we won't let the scary monsters get you. I've been wanting to see this for ages and I-" I stopped for dramatic effect and got a tissue and dabbed at my dry eyes, even though everyone knew that I could never cry. "I really want to watch _The Exorcist_." I then gave her the full sad puppy face knowing Bella couldn't resist it.

"Damn you, Alice with your stupid sad face!" she screamed in frustration. I grinned.

"Before we watch it though, it's time."

"Time? Oh no," Bella whimpered. She must have been thinking over what she had to do in the next few minutes and blushed.

We went down the stairs, me thinking of how Bella looked really beautiful. "Hi!" I announced our presence though they all knew we were here. All the vampires turned to us questionably.

"Bella," Edward sighed in relief.

"Edward," Bella greeted anxiously. Edward's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her obvious anxiety. Good, Bella! I congratulated in my head. He now knows that there is something up. Edward looked at me questionably. He was asking why Bella was so apprehensive. Luckily at the time I was thinking how Bella's clothes harmonized with her ivory skin. It was so sexy. His eyes narrowed in surprise. **(By the way - Alice don't actually think these things about Bella. She is just trying to go along with the dare. It would be weird if Alice did fancy Bella though… LMAO That would be hilarious) **

**EPOV**

"Hi!" Alice's voice chirped throughout the whole room. We all turned to look at the trio of gorgeous girls walking in. Of course Bella was the most beautiful. But then again no one could compare with her.

"Bella," I sighed, thanking God that she was still in one piece. I thought that I would never see her again. Well, until tomorrow morning. But come on, one night is very long for a vampire without the person he loved.

"Edward," Bella said, though not looking glad to see me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was wrong with her? Did I do something wrong? Was she mad at me? I looked behind her to the other two and searched their thoughts for an explanation. What they were thinking made me even more surprised.

Alice was thinking, _"Oh my God. Bella is so sexy. I hope this goes well. Poor Jasper and Edward. I'll always love him… in a way."_

Whereas Rosalie was actually thinking **polite **thoughts about Bella. She was also thinking poor Jasper and Edward. What were they planning?

Alice looked nervous as well. "Hey Jasper, Edward. Bella and I have something to t-tell you," she began. Bella nodded in agreement and blushed. Why did she blush?

"We're really sorry," continued Bella, closing her eyes. "But w-we can't fight our feelings any longer." Rose ran out of the room, her shoulders shaking. She came back two seconds later, hiding her face and sat down in between Jasper and me and took our hands reassuringly. We stared disbelievingly at her, she **never **held hands with anyone. Ever since what happened prior to her being changed, she likes to show her independence and doesn't like being close to anyone. And can you really blame her? She was betrayed by the man she thought she could trust, the man she thought loved her. I looked at Jasper, my eyebrows raised. He didn't know what was happening either.

"Jasper, I will always love you … but the truth is I l-l-love B-Bella more," Alice announced. Both mine and Jasper's heads snapped up at her words. Jasper looked hurt, he could feel her love for **my **Bella. I was astounded. Rose's shoulders started to shake again and she ran out of the room but came back a few minutes later **again**. **(Btw - she's shaking with laughter but the guys think she's crying lol)**

"Edward, I th-think I love Alice too," Bella said to me sadly. Alice stood on her foot subtly but I caught it. "I m-mean, I **know **I love her too. I'm sorry, Edward."

I looked at her with what must have been wounded eyes. When did she-? How? Why? Was I not enough for her?

"I don't believe you," said Jasper. "After all we had! How could you fall in love with Bella? Didn't you ever think of what this would do to Edward and me?!" He put his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Jasper." Alice turned Bella around and glared at Rose. "We'll have to show them, Bella." Bella blushed but nodded.

They … **KISSED**?! My body started to shake as I watched their mouths meet. For six long minutes I had to watch the love of my existence kiss my **sister**. They loved each other. Oh God, I stood up and went over to the window but I could still see them in the reflection. Dammit. As much as I hated seeing her kissing someone else, a **girl**, I had to admit it was very … arousing. I could tell from Jasper's thoughts that he was also, unwillingly, aroused as well.

When they finally disentangled from each other, Esme got up and said cheerily, "I've always wanted one of my children to be gay! Now I have two gay daughters! Oh, this is such a happy day. When's the wedding?" She hugged both of them and kissed their foreheads. Jasper, Carlisle and I looked at her in disbelief. Why was she so happy that her two daughters had fallen for each other, leaving her other two sons on their own. And no way, am I going to go out with Jasper. No way, she may want her children to be gay but no way am I going to marry Jasper to make her happy. No way.

Rose started to guffaw with a laughter. Bella, Esme and Alice started to giggle. "Oh… My… God… You… believed them!" Rose said in between laughs.

"What?!" Jasper and I bellowed.

Bella skipped over to me and Alice did the same but to Jasper. "We were joking! It was a Dare! You're faces … they were hilarious!" laughed Bella.

"You mean you nearly killed me for a DARE!?" I said angrily.

"Relax, Edward," she said and then she kissed me on the lips. "I prefer silver Volvo owners with bronze hair." She kissed me again on the lips. "It wasn't my fault, Alice picked Double Dare and she picked me to be her partner in crime and Rose came up with it. I had to," she whispered in my ear.

So it was all Rose and Alice's fault. They will pay.

* * *

**Ok, I know that whole Jasper and Edward's reactions are a little bit over the top and they were also a little bit gullible but I thought it was funnier that way. Well, at least for me. LOL I really just got the idea from the song "I Kissed A Girl"… OME! I LOVE that song. Lol Oh yeah, another thing, the reason why Alice was stuttering a little bit because she was acting, she wasn't really nervous. She actually thought it was funny.**

**I was originally going to do the whole night, but the next chapter will be the morning after (also in Alice's POV) where Edward will have revenge and Alice will think about what happened after the whole dare thing. Lol There will also be a bit in Rose's POV**

**Review and tell me what you think...**

**Love  
****Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo :)****  
****xXx**


	8. Midnight Talks & Revenge

**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight**

**Some general news about the story - I have put a few hints in here on the issue of what happened to Bella in Phoenix. Edward will find out in a few chapters time. Maybe about chapter 10 or 11. I think. I have done a basic outline on what happens in each chapter before I even posted the first chapter but I keep on changing it a little bit. I get ideas as I go along. The main story has always been the same but stuff like The Dares and everything, I didn't think of it until when I was writing it. :P**

**So it starts of with the remainder of the sleepover and then the revenge (insert evil laugh here). Also I did a little bit of Rosalie's POV and I've never done her really before so I hope she is alright (I did a little of her POV in my other chapter but I wrote this one first). It was hard because you don't really get to know her in the books but I actually like her. In fact I feel really sorry for Rosalie in this story, more than in Twilight (especially when we found out what happened to her in her human life in Eclipse), because she's the seventh wheel. She has no mate of her own :(**

**Oh yeah, my Beta's still away so this chapter hasn't been looked at so sorry for any errors. Well onto the story.

* * *

**

**Chapter 8  
****APOV**

It was the day after the sleepover and Bella had just left. Now, I would have to face the wrath of Edward, who was still in a huff with Rose and I over the whole "I'm in love with Bella" thing. But no biggie. What could he do after all? He's only a 107 sexually repressed vampire. I may not be as old as him but I definitely have more experience when it comes to living. Edward didn't even have a life before Bella. And I mean that in the best possible sense.

Sure, it was romantic that he had been hung up over her for decades. In a way he was waiting for her. But really, all he did was listen to music, hunt, go to school etc. Just the essentials. You would think since we were practically invincible, he would do something crazy once in a while. Maybe when Bella is changed (and she will be, don't worry. I mean, come on, he's going to change her in the end. He wouldn't be able to handle her dying and I know Bella wants it), she could find the wild side of him.

But in the end, Edward was Edward. He didn't see himself clearly, like Bella. They both thought they weren't good enough for each other which just makes me laugh.

The truth is - they're not good for each other. They're perfect for each other.

After we resumed our sleepover, we watched the movie. Personally I didn't find it scary, but maybe that's just because I know if it was real, it couldn't harm me. Bella, however, was scared out of her wits and spent half the time, hiding her face in a pillow. After that, we put on Legally Blonde so she wouldn't get nightmares. Edward would be angry otherwise that we had made Bella watch a horror film.

Rose left for a little while to look up some more horror films to order. She thought they were hysterical, especially Bella's reactions. I took advantage of this moment to have a little 'heart-to-heart' with her. Ever since I had put on Legally Blonde she had been looking sort of sad and I wanted to know why. I loved Bella like my own sister and I didn't like to see her upset.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I asked softly, sitting down beside her. She looked at me.

"Nothing," she said lightly.

"Come on, Bella. Spill. I know you too well," I said, putting on my sad face. Boy, these sad faces were making a **big **appearance today!

She sat silently for a few minutes, looking at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Ok, I'll tell you," she said in surrender. She scrutinized me. "Have you ever felt guilty when you're happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, say you … lost someone and it was all your fault and when you started to enjoy yourself, to be happy again - you felt guilty. It was all your fault that that person had died and they would never have the chance to feel happiness again. And then you think - God, what am I doing? He's dead and I'm … happy," she told me, her face looked tormented with tears in her eyes. "He didn't deserve it. It was all my fault." She threw her arms around me and started to sob. I comforted her and after a while, her sobs quietened down to silent tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Who died?" I questioned softly.

"No one. It's nothing," she said sharply. She started to retreat and put up the walls she always had around her.

"You can trust me," I told her.

"You wouldn't believe me," I heard her say quietly.

"Why? Come on, my family and me are all supposed to be mythical creatures!" I tried to persuade her.

She ignored my question. "You won't. I tried to tell the one person that I thought I could trust, well, the one person who was still **alive**, and she didn't." I decided not to push her, she would tell us when she was ready. I knew that, but it was still frustrating knowing that there was something hurting Bella inside and there was nothing I could do about it until she learnt to trust me enough to tell me.

"You should probably get some rest. Edward will be mad if his dearest Bella doesn't get her beauty sleep!" I joked. She nodded and she got into bed.

"Goodnight," I said and kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back." She looked curious and I got up and left. I knew that my vision wouldn't happen if I was still in the room.

**RPOV**

After I had ordered a few DVDs, I went into my bedroom. I was thinking about Bella in particular. As much as I hated to admit that I was wrong, it was the truth. At the start when Bella and Edward first got together, I thought that she was only going out with him because he was the 'unattainable, aloof boy', that she didn't care about Edward. I suppose I felt a bit protective of Edward, in many ways he was still an ordinary teenage boy with his first girlfriend. I admit I was jealous, Edward was supposed to be **my **mate but he didn't care that I was beautiful. It's not that I like Edward in that way, he's like a brother to me. It was just Bella was so … normal. I was wrong about that too. I suppose it's just my vanity talking. I didn't like it that Edward never gave me a second glance and this girl just comes along and all of a sudden he's like a love-sick puppy!

I knew that I should explain why I was so mean to Bella when we first met. What struck me most at the sleepover was that it was like Bella was always a member of our family. It was like Bella didn't need to earn her way into being a Cullen, she just was **one**. When I first got changed, I sometimes felt like I had to prove myself, show that I was worthy to be a Cullen.

We were actually quite infamous among vampires, we were the family that had rebelled against our very nature and had abstained from our natural appetite. We lived among humans peacefully and we were unusually large for a coven. Our 'leader' was a doctor, a man who was subjected to blood numerous times a day and he still didn't take advantage of that to feed his thirst!

I suppose I felt a bit resentful towards Bella that she had become a member of the family so easily, so effortlessly, whereas I had to work to earn that title. I knew that the time would come when Bella would become a Cullen officially and for eternity but I didn't want that life for Bella. My life. She shouldn't have to give up her humanity for love, she would be subjected to an eternity of fighting her hunger, an eternity of boredom and three days of unimaginable torture as well. And for what? Love and a new family.

I didn't understand love. How could it be so powerful that it would bind people together and when they were apart, make the two of them so sad? I sometimes dreamt of meeting my perfect match, my soul mate. I feel more lonely than ever now - everyone here has found their mate except me. Even Moody Edward has. God knows how Bella will be able to put up with his grumpiness masochistic nature if - when - they're together permanently.

I listened carefully, Bella was all alone in Alice's bedroom. Maybe I could talk to her and confide in her. She's really a nice girl and I'm sure we could be good friends. I didn't want her to that I didn't like her and feel uncomfortable around me.

I decided that I would go. I knocked softly before going in. Bella sat up and asked, "Rosalie? What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to talk."

"Oh," was all she said. I could see she was still a little nervous around me. "So…?" she trailed of.

"I just wanted to have a little talk, I wanted to explain some things to you. I know when you and Edward first got together that you noticed that I was … let's just say, not the keenest on your relationship." No need to go into the whole thinking Bella was a slut. Yeah, I don't think Edward would be pleased for one and for another I don't want Bella not to like me. I know I come out all confident but the truth is … inside I'm actually afraid that people might not like me. We all have our insecurities sometimes. Even me. Sometimes I think that the only reason the Cullens put up with me is because of what happened in my human life and that I was also a fellow vegetarian vampire.

"I noticed."

"Yeah, and I would like to apologise about my behaviour. It's just Edward has never been in a relationship before, and as his sister, I was a bit overprotective of him. I didn't want for him to get hurt." More like I didn't want to deal with him being moody even more and going on his "Poor Me" chariot.

"No, I understand. I think. I accept your apology even though you didn't need to say sorry. It's ok."

"No, it isn't. If anything, I should have been thanking you for getting together with Edward. We were all - well, at least I was - starting to think that he was gay before you came along!" **(A/N Yes, I couldn't resist. Has anyone else seen that very funny picture?) **Bella blushed whereas I could hear a very angry growl from downstairs.

"_Edward, I'm trying to have a private conversation with Bella. Stop eavesdropping or so help me, I won't fix up any of your cars __**EVER **__again," _I thought towards him. He growled again but I ignored him.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was it about me that offended you so much?" Bella asked seriously.

"Nothing, I was just being my normal selfish self. There was nothing wrong with you, except that you were human. I just didn't see how it could work out. The only ending that could foresee was heartbreak. Which is probably the reason why Alice is the psychic and not me. I was also a bit jealous, did Edward ever tell you how I was changed?"

"Um… no, he didn't. All he said was that you had had a tough time before you got changed and that Carlisle hadn't a choice if you were going to live. Why were you jealous?"

I told her all about my human life, though I edited when I came to the change, I didn't want a furious Edward after me. Or well, an even angrier Edward, he's already furious between the whole dare and the gay comment. Ah well. What can he do? I told her about Royce and how I knew that she wanted to be one of us. How I felt about that. I wasn't opposed to her, I just didn't think she deserved the life we had to lead.

Once I finished, it was silent for a few minutes. "I'm so sorry, Rosalie," Bella said and reached over to give me a hug. "What you have been through … it's so sad. Men like that should not be alive!" she said fiercely.

"Don't worry, he's not. I made sure of that," I joked. We were silent for another few minutes. "Well, it's late and I know Edward won't be happy if your really tired in the morning thanks to his two loving sisters who kept you up," I grinned at her. "Sometimes I think that he is more like a father to you than your boyfriend!"

"He's just a little bit protective. I have to admit I am tired," she tried to stifle a yawn. "So see you in the morning?"

"Yeah, goodnight." I left her to sleep and went back to my room. Alice knocked on my door a few minutes later and came in. We talked for the rest of the night, while Edward "sneaked" into Bella's room to watch her sleep. I still thought that was a bit weird, how could he be so entertained by watching her rest. She didn't do anything interesting, well that's what I thought. She talked in her sleep so maybe **that **was the reason. He was rather proud of himself that he managed to "sneak past" Alice when really Alice was just too tired of trying to keep Edward away from Bella on our sleepover.

I suppose it was cute, in a way. But also a little bit creepy. If I was human and I met a man that loved me for me and not for what I looked like or what I represented, I would still not let him watch me sleep.

**EPOV**

I left Bella off back at her house this morning before returning to my home to plan out my revenge. I was originally going to do all the planning the night before but the desire to watch Bella sleep was too strong. It wouldn't take long anyways. I couldn't wait to see their faces.

First of all I would need some assistance. I knocked on Jasper's study and walked in. He was reading, as per usual. It was a routine of him to read for at least a hour every day.

Jasper was reluctant at first, he didn't want to get on Alice's bad side. He was a wimp when it came to Alice, hated being in the doghouse with her **(Hmm, Edward, ever heard of the saying 'The pot calling the kettle black'? lol)**. Sometimes he reminded me of a puppy dog. I had never really understood how someone could have such a hold over someone, until I met Bella. But a few choice words and Jasper agreed to help me.

Jasper retrieved two pairs of handcuffs **(oh yes, the handcuffs make an appearance again. They're not the same ones though :P)** from the bottom drawer of his desk. I don't even want to think about what Alice and him did with those.

"Won't they be able to break through them though?" I asked when I saw them.

"Oh no, they're made from werewolves' skins, diamond **(It's really hard right?)** and the remains of a dead vampire." **(Oh yeah, just so no one gets confused, the vampire is dead. It's the charred remains of a vampire. It's sorta like ashes or dust though really hard so that no vamp can get out of these.)**

"I'm not even going to ask where you got that from and what you use it for."

"Good choice," he smirked. "Remember, you tell Alice that this was not my idea and that the handcuffs are yours."

"Fine," I said irritably. I would tell her but I know she wouldn't believe me. What the hell would I need a pair of handcuffs vampire style? And not just the one pair, **two **pairs?

Alice had been distracted by Bella and Rose ever since I started planning on my revenge and I knew how to surprise Alice. When you've lived with her for decades and helped in her experimentations with her gift you pick up some things. But now it was morning and she was in her room on her own, bored - bad idea. She was more likely to find out our plan if she wasn't doing anything. We had discovered that she could still get visions at any time, especially if she was focusing on getting one, but if she was busy and/or distracted, she unconsciously rejected visions that were not important. She could still have them but visions were more reluctant to come.

I told Jasper to distract her while I finished up with the plans. From what I unwillingly heart, he succeeded in his mission.

I finished up with my plans, made a few phone calls out of hearing from any vampires that might have been listening at the time and I was ready. I phoned Bella as well to tell her about the cancellation in the plans Alice had made for them both to go shopping later on that day.

"Jasper, it's time," I said in a normal tone of voice. I knew that he would hear me. I made my way to Rose's room and went in without knocking. She would have heard my approach anyways. I came in to see her looking in the mirror. Typical Rose. Some things never change.

She was so absorbed in looking at herself that she hadn't realised that I was in her room. It wasn't that she was admiring herself, she was looking at herself critically as if trying to reassure herself that she was still flawlessly beautiful.

I got out the handcuffs and pounced. She shrieked in shock and tried to fight me off of her but I was too fast and snapped the handcuffs into place.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed at me. I could hear Alice scream similar things, Jasper had been successful as well.

I didn't answer her and she futilely tried to escape from the shackles. "Damn you," she continued to swear with a impressive - and extensive - vocabulary. Her parents would have been so proud.

"Come on, Rose," I told her sternly. "We can either do this the hard way or the easy way. I personally recommend the easy way. Easy way - you come with us without a big fuss or hard way - we'll drag you there if we have to. So which way are you going to choose?"

"Edward, your such a drama queen," she rolled her eyes, though still furious. "All this over **one **kiss. I'm. Not. Going. Wherever. You're. Planning," she said slowly, enunciating each word.

"Edward, a little help," Jasper called, his voice strained.

"Sure, one second." I turned to Rosalie. "You stay." I pulled her onto her chair and tied her up with rope, especially made for vampires. One word of advice - if you ever move in with a family of vampires, make sure you have your own supply of vampire rope. Always comes in handy.

I found Jasper wrestling with Alice, trying to drag her out of the room to the car ready and waiting for us and the victims. A funny sight to behold - tall lanky Jasper trying to drag a miniscule pixie Alice who was grabbing at everything and anything to stop her from being pulled into the car. Jasper had managed to get her downstairs, but couldn't get her any further than that. I was tempted to just sit and watch as it was so entertaining but then she grabbed **my **piano and dragging it across the floor, making it to slam into the bookcase she had also dragged down from Jasper's study and the mountains of DVDs that they had upended in their battle. An admirable feat when you consider the fact that she did this all handcuffed. Alice was screaming so loud, I was convinced that even the people in Seattle would be able to hear her. I ran forward to help Jasper wrestle Alice into the car.

Carlisle was lucky enough to be working so he didn't have to listen to this racket, though Esme was not as fortunate. She had been out buying some more paint and new furniture in preparation of next month's theme. She was not expecting to come and find her sitting room / hall to be a chaotic, cluttered mess.

"What is going on here?" Esme asked, her mouth wide open and looking amused though trying to hide it.

"Pay back," I said simply.

"Ah," she nodded knowingly. "I'll be in my room if anyone wants me. Be sure to clean up after you've finished," she said as she went up the stairs and disappeared into her room.

"Esme, Mom! They're trying to kill me!" she yelled dramatically. "Help me!"

"Sorry, Alice. This is something you'll have to work out with your brother and your husband. You did after all kiss Edward's girlfriend," we heard her say.

"Grrr…" she growled. "Please Jasper, you're hurting me," she changed tactics and went into her whimpering puppy dog mode but I was ready for that. Jasper however paused, torn between his desire to make Alice happy or to stay with the plan. Alice had stopped fighting to go along with her change of tactics so I took advantage of that to throw her into the car and I started to tie her up as quickly as possible. Alice screamed in frustration knowing that she had lost.

Jasper and I ran upstairs to retrieve Rose who was still swearing loudly and trying to escape. We didn't bother untying her and just picked up the chair. She tried to fight back though it was half-heartedly. She knew that we had won.

We threw her in the car as well and then we got in as well in the front seats. I drove us to where the private plane that Bella and I had travelled yesterday in and we carried them onboard. Jasper knew how to fly so I told him to keep an eye on the girls while I straightened out all the paper work for us to take it out. It didn't that long though, and soon enough we were in the sky.

I could hear Alice and Rose's complaints and when Alice saw what we had in plan for her, she got even louder and ruder in her whining. We landed and Jasper and I carried the girls into the place I had arranged. It was on the private beach where I had taken Bella for our first date. We took Rose to the underground garage that we had built under the beach house for Rose so she had a place to work on the cars.

We set her down and tied her up extra tight to a really hard metal chair and chained her ankles as well (they were also ones made for especially vampires). She was in perfect view of everything.

She could see all the wrecked cars, but not irreparable and all the tools lying around, begging her to help save these cars lives. This was her punishment. She would have to sit there for three days being tortured by the wish - the need - to repair all the cars.

Next was Alice. We sat her down in a previously empty room in the beach house. Now it was full of fashion magazines, all the latest clothes and the best makeup. We tied her up to an identical metal chair and shackled her ankles together. She would have to go three days without shopping just staring at the clothes, teasing her.

Yes, we were evil.

We would return in three days time to collect both of them up and would tell the teachers at school that they had went camping. We would tell Carlisle and Esme the truth, they would find out anyways. I knew them well enough to know that they would find it funny more than anything.

We left to the squeals of horror and sorrow. That will teach them.

I knew that they wouldn't be there for the full three days, it wasn't **ever **going to happen. Either Jasper was going to crack or they would find someway for us to release them. But until then - Mission accomplished.

Just another day living with the Cullens.

* * *

**Ah Edward, always the theatrical one. I know pretty lame, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. :P**

**I'm sorry that this chapter took ages, I just kept on changing my mind on what the revenge would be. I was also away for a week with no internet access and Breaking Dawn came out as well which was very exciting. I've also been very busy over the last week as well, so much to do, so little time. **

**IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BREAKING DAWN DON'T READ THIS PARAGRAPH!! - IT HAS ONE BIG SPOILER IN IT SO YOU WERE WARNED! - I loved BD, and I don't see how anyone didn't. I don't understand the people that have been hating on it! The only part I didn't like was the whole Jacob imprinting with Renesmee, that was WEIRD and slightly sick. To be honest I HATE Jacob (sorry to all the Jacob fans) as do most of my friends and we were secretly hoping that he would die (SORRY again) in BD. Ah well, I would have been fine if he imprinted on someone else IF they lived far far away and he ran off with her (or him? Lol) and was never heard of again. I've always secretly suspected that he might be gay and the only reason he didn't like Edward was because he wanted him all for himself though that doesn't even make sense. Haha. Edward would have picked up on it in his thoughts. It's just … sick. I mean why on HER? And the whole thing when Edward says goodbye to him (you know the part where he calls her his son). I can just imagine the stories Jacob will tell the kids - "I remember the day when I fell in love with your grandmother and when I tried to split your grandparents up. Good times. . ." haha **

**Another thing that I just thought of now. You know E & B's first date in my story, where they went to the beach that the Cullens owned with their own little mansion-beach-house and where the revenge took place in THIS chapter. Well, I was just thinking - that place was very similar to Isle Esme or was it just me? lol**

**YOU CAN READ AGAIN - On a different note, while I was still deciding what the revenge would be I worked on the next few chapters (mainly the one where Edward finds out) so updates will be quicker and I updated The Best You Never Had a few times as well. ****:)****I'm surprised that it's doing so well, it's more popular than A Vision of Love! If you haven't checked out TBYNH (I shortened it :P), then please do after you've finished this chapter! lol**

**Review! I really tried to do Rosalie well so I would like some feedback on if you liked the way I portrayed her or not. I thought that doing a variation of the scene in Eclipse where Rosalie tells Bella about her past was important. It helped establish her character in Bella's eyes and her story gave Bella a lot to think about ;)**

**So, the fun fun weekend is over and back to the actual story … Yes, you had a couple of fluffy chapters so it's only fair. **

**Wow, this is a long ending AN. lol**

**Love  
****Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo :)****  
****xXx**


	9. Phoenix

**So, yes we're back to normal here. The Cullens had a fun weekend but now it's back to normal with Edward trying to find out more about Bella.**

**Sorry it took so long but it seemed everything was against my Beta and I getting this chapter out! Thanks a lot, Taylor btw!**

**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight but I just realised that Mick is mine! :) On second thoughts, does anyone want him?**

**So, it's getting very excited as at the end of this chapter you get the biggest clue ever in the history of clues that will give it away and the next chapter will be where you find out the whole story and Edward finds out! :)**

**I don't really like this chapter. I don't know why. But anyways, enjoy …

* * *

**

**Chapter 9  
****EPOV**

The next day, I picked up Bella on our way to school. Since it was just Jasper and me, there was lots of room in the car.

"Where are Alice and Rose?" Bella asked as she jumped in.

"Oh, they decided to go on a mini vacation," I smirked slightly. She saw it and gasped.

"What did you do? You didn't kill them did you?" Bella actually looked upset although she was joking about me killing my sisters so I was quick to reassure her that I hadn't hurt them in any way, it was just revenge.

"I suppose I should be thanking you, we never went shopping yesterday so if she was here, she would probably kidnap me to go shopping!"

Jasper and I chuckled, but his laughter was a little bit subdued, he was missing Alice already.

When we arrived at school, Maddening Mick came up to us. He seemed nervous about something and kept on telling Bella that the rumors weren't true and that she shouldn't believe them. Bella knew what he was talking about clearly and had a hard time trying to repress her laughter. I didn't understand a word, so I listened to his thoughts.

Someone had prank called him on Saturday night, congratulating him for coming out that he was gay. I suspected that Rose and Alice were behind this.

Over the next few days, school was the same - boring, repetitive and uneventful. After school on Monday, Jasper couldn't take it anymore and went to rescue Alice from her prison. He released Rose while he was there but I could tell he was tempted to just leave her there. He knew that Rose was really angry with us two and I think, he was actually scared by what she would do. Alice, on the other hand, though was furious at Jasper at first, forgave him a few hours after being released. He was her 'Jazzy-poo' and he had promised her all sorts of things, like accompanying her shopping. Yes, he was idiotic.

As soon as Rose was released she set to work getting all the wrecked cars back to perfect condition. It didn't take her long as she is such a good mechanic. We sold most of the cars, but some of them we kept and added them to our collection of cars.

Over the years, we collected cars that were special to us in some way and kept them in a garage in Alaska. As we always moved on every few years, it didn't seem practical to bring them with us all the time. It would just raise a lot of questions. So we bought a warehouse near - for vampires - to where the Denali coven lived. They would be able to keep an eye on the cars and because they lived permanently there, it was just easier.

By the end of the week, Alice had taken Bella on numerous occasions, shopping for stuff to bring at the weekend. I don't think Alice understands that we're going to see her sick mother, not on holiday. But what can you do? It was best to just let Alice have her fun.

I met Bella's father officially as Bella's boyfriend on Tuesday after school. I knew that he wasn't that keen on Bella having any boyfriend, but he knew he couldn't complain. I came from a respectable family, I was polite, I was a straight-A student, I had never gotten in trouble with the law and I didn't drink. At least I wasn't a druggie with anger management problems and was failing high school, he had reasoned. No, I was a lot worse.

Charlie was reluctant to allow Bella to go away with a person of the opposite sex - especially as we were together romantically speaking - but Alice and Carlisle managed to change his mind. Carlisle told Charlie all the things a father wants to hear - that he won't let us out of his sight, that his son was very responsible and that we would be staying in separate suites in the hotel with him right beside each of us etc.

I felt that Charlie had another reason for his reluctance though but I couldn't figure it out what it was. Whatever it was, it was personal and most likely private, and Bella knew what it was.

Carlisle was actually **(I can't remember if I've mentioned this :P)** coming with us, it wasn't just a lie so that Charlie would let Bella go. He had some business in Phoenix anyways. He was actually taking his duty of rather seriously and had a talk with me saying that I 'better behave myself' while we're away and be the 'perfect gentleman'. It annoyed me a little that he was acting like I was some sex-starved teenager, and when I said so, Rose said I was. Ugh, sometimes my family can really annoy me. But I knew that they had my best interests at heart.

Bella found out how I watched her sleep at night and thankfully she wasn't annoyed. She found it 'comforting', that she 'felt safe when I was there, protecting her'. She was a little self-conscious about her sleep-talking though I tried to show her how I thought it was cute. I didn't ask her about the nightmare.

We got excused from school on Friday after explaining the situation and the three of us caught a flight to Phoenix on Friday morning. Bella was still half asleep as the flight was very early in the morning and as we were having to drive to Port Angeles first as well, she had to be up around four in the morning.

This time we just took a commercial flight though we were in first class. Bella was too tired to make a fuss out of us spending money on her. I wish that she'd realize that we could do a **lot **worse than pay for a first class ticket on a plane.

When we arrived at the airport in Phoenix, we went over to collect the cars we were going to hire over the next few days. Carlisle had hired two cars, one for him and another for us. He knew that there was no point getting three cars when Bella and I would probably be together the whole weekend. Carlisle picked a similar car back to the one he had in Forks and I got Bella to pick ours. She wanted to pick the cheapest but I wouldn't let her, I knew she didn't want me to spend so much money on her. In the end, I gave her the choice of two cars and she picked a silver Porsche.

We arrived at the hotel - the best one in Phoenix and checked in. We made sure our suites were right next to each other though we only got the two. There was no point as only one of us would be getting any real use out of them. Bella hadn't phoned her mother to tell her that we would be here this weekend as she wanted it to be a surprise.

We decided that Bella would go visit her mother today, while I would pick up the all the stuff that Alice had ordered me to get her while we were here. I might as well get it over with and I knew that Bella wouldn't want me to intrude on a reunion between just her and her mother.

I dropped Bella off at her mother's house. It was half past four in the afternoon by now. She seemed very nervous and when I asked her why she was so anxious about seeing her mother, she confided that Renée and her had got into a big fight before she moved to Forks. I suppose her mother mustn't have been that keen on her moving for obvious reasons. Did they disagree over it? Did Renée want her to stay here and was angry when Bella did move against her wishes? Maybe that was the reason for their distance. Bella told me before that she hadn't talked to her mother on the phone or emailed her because she knew that 'Renée is too busy at the moment'.

I went about getting all the things Alice had ordered and I realized with a sigh that I wouldn't have enough time today to get it all done and would have to do the rest either tomorrow or the day after before we leave. It was only half past 5 and I had hardly made a dent in the list when Bella rang to ask me if I would pick her up.

I decided that it was enough for the day and drove to the café where Bella was. It was near to her mother's house, only a few blocks away. I was surprised that she wasn't with her mother, trying to spend as much time as possible with her before we had to get back. I walked into the café to find Bella at a table in the corner as far away as possible from everyone else staring at her glass of Diet Coke absentmindedly.

"Hi," I said as I sat down. She jumped, she hadn't saw me walk in.

A bored waitress came over and asked me if I wanted anything. I politely declined and asked for the bill. After a few minutes of silence, I leaned forward and asked her softly, "What's wrong?"

She blinked. "Oh, nothing," she lied, laughing nervously. I raised my eyebrows at her. "No, really. It's just… hard to be back here."

"Oh," I said, still baffled. "Do you wish you were still living here?" Maybe it was hard because she missed here so much that when she was here, it just reminded her of past memories.

"God, no. I prefer the weather here but honestly, there are better people in Forks." She finished her drink and asked me if I was ready to go.

I paid the waitress for Bella's drink and the chocolate muffin she had just finished eating when I had come in, despite Bella's protests. She wanted to buy her own food but it was too late. I opened her door for her and then we were off.

"So how did it go with your mother?" I asked curiously.

"Not good," she frowned and looked down when I glanced at her. I was still staring at her when she screeched, "Watch where you're driving! We'll die." I smirked but turned my head so I was looking straight ahead again.

"Are you going to elaborate on that?" I pushed.

She sighed. "It was just … awkward and I don't think my mom wanted me to be there. I had a feeling that she couldn't wait until I was gone and she was so edgy. I don't know what to do, to be honest …" she looked at me shockingly, as if realizing that she had just said something she shouldn't. "So how was your day?" she quickly changed the subject.

I frowned, I thought we were finally getting somewhere but then she shuts me out. Nevertheless I answered her, "It was ok. Alice wants me to get her so many things that I didn't have enough time today. I'll have to do some more tomorrow," I said regretfully. "Do you want to go back to your mom's house tomorrow or come with me?"

"No, that's ok," she said, relieved for some reason. Did she not want to spend time with me when we were here? Was she embarrassed to be seen with me? "I've got some … errands to do as well, and I want to see a friend of mine as well. I haven't seen her in ages."

"Ok."

The rest of the drive was in uncomfortable silence. I turned up the volume on the CD player.

When we got back to the hotel room, Carlisle was already there. He noticed Bella's sad mood but didn't mention it. We went out to dinner for Bella but she didn't eat much. She mostly played with her food. I could tell there was a lot on her mind. I was mad at myself that she didn't trust me enough to talk to me about it.

After dinner, Bella said goodnight to us, saying that she had had a long day and she was really tired. When I walked into her room a hour later, she was just sitting up in bed looking out the window absentmindedly, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Bella?" I said her name softly. Her head jerked to me and she looked at me. "Goodnight," I smiled.

She smiled as well. "Goodnight." She turned of the lamp on her bedside table and snuggled into the covers. She closed her eyes and I just stayed standing in that spot watching her. She was so beautiful - no angel deserved to be in such pain. And I knew she was in pain emotionally though she hid it well. After about ten minutes she opened her eyes showing some mock irritation. "Are you coming to bed or what?"

I chuckled but nevertheless climbed into bed with her and snuggled up to her. She sighed in contentment and buried her face into my chest, her eyes closing and she yawned. I kissed her forehead.

I didn't understand how she would want me as a pillow - I was cold and hard. Not exactly the characteristics of a pillow. I don't mean that I didn't like her lying on me or against me or anything like that. In fact I quite enjoy it, I can smell her hair and I can feel her lovely warmness.

"Edward?" Bella said sleepily.

"What?"

"Will you throw Mick out the window?" **(A/N - Just so you don't get confused, it's a dream, she's talking in her sleep)**

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

The next morning I woke Bella up early so we could get on our way. As Bella got changed and had her 'human minute', I cooked some breakfast. Thank you, Jeffery Morrow for those excellent cooking lessons **(He's the guy who cooked Bella's dinner for their first date, remember he agreed to teach Edward how to cook. BTW - I just made up that person. Just pretend he's some famous chef that everyone knows, ok?)**.

Bella seemed quite appreciative that I had gone to the trouble of cooking her breakfast when it was just for her.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Carlisle asked us as Bella ate a piece of bacon.

"Well, I still have some more stuff to pick up for Alice and Bella has some errands to run, people to see. What about you?"

"Oh, I think I'm just going to stay here for the day. Bella can use my car so you can get finished quicker." We thanked him and there was a moments' silence.

"I still don't understand why you're sucking up to Alice lately," Bella commented as she ate on her toast.

I smirked, "Bella, you would do the same if you knew who you were dealing with. I need to be in her good graces if I want to live another week. She's really annoyed by the stunt Jasper and I pulled on her last Sunday, so if I do this for her, maybe she'll just forget," I said hopefully.

"I wouldn't count on that," Carlisle smirked.

After breakfast was finished and cleaned up, Bella and I parted our separate ways. I practically flew across everywhere trying to get everything as quick as I can. Run in this store, run in that store. After a while I was forgetting which store I had been in already and which one I had yet to sweep through.

After over the hundredth boutique I have entered today and was finally finished. I took a deep breath and cheered silently in my mind.

I was on my way home and I tried to ring Bella's mobile but she didn't pick up and it went to her voice mail. Maybe she was really busy and forgot to put her phone on. I rang Carlisle and told him that I was on my way to the hotel suite.

As I passed a local graveyard, my eyes recognized the only car in the tiny car park.

It was the car Carlisle had hired the day before. The car Bella was driving.

I looked at the sign to find out the name of the graveyard. It didn't sound familiar. After a few moments of deliberation, I drove into the car park and parked myself beside Bella's car. I went over to the car and I knew that it was definitely ours.

I could still smell Bella, she hadn't left long ago. Not only that but I recognized her bag sitting on the seat and her mobile beside it. So that was why she didn't answer her phone.

I walked into the graveyard and I looked around for Bella. The graveyard was enormous but I couldn't see anyone. I looked down at the names on the graves as I walked past them. Most of them were so faded that you couldn't make out any of the words, or even a single letter. That is if you were human, of course. Even with my vampire sight, I could hardly make out what was said but saw enough to realize that I must be in the old wing of the graveyard, most of these people were from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

I walked further on and they slowly became more up-to-date. I came around the corner and then I could see Bella.

I quickened up my pace until I was just a few meters from her.

She was kneeling down in front of a grave, a bunch of roses in her hands and she was speaking quietly to the grave. She was crying silently and I could only make out a few words. She hadn't saw me yet.

I looked down at the gravestone :-

**_In Loving Memory of,  
_****_Emmett Charlie Swan  
_**_**A caring son, a devoted brother, a honest friend  
****We miss you.**_

Who the hell is Emmett?!

* * *

**So review? I got 7 reviews for last chapter (thanks guys!) so maybe I could get at least 10 for this one? ****:) ****Please. Who****'****s Emmett?**

**The next chapter will hopefully be updated some time today or tomorrow. I don****'****t want to leave you guys hanging for too long! Again I would really appreciate some reviews on what you think, especially in this chapter and the next. After all, these two chapters are two of the most crucial chapters in the whole story.**

**Love,  
****Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo :)  
****xXx**


	10. Emmett Charlie Swan

**A/N And yes, the long (literally) awaited chapter. You will find out things like who Emmett is though you****'****ve all probably guessed. But did you see it coming? And you will also find out what happened in Phoenix. **

**Ok. I think this chapter is sad so that****'****s a warning. I don****'****t think it****'****s crying ****'****OMG! This is sadder than New Moon****' ****depressing sad where everyone cries when they read it but I would say it is a little sad.**

_Previously:-_

_I looked down at the grave stone :-_

_**In Loving Memory of,  
**__**Emmett Charlie Swan  
A caring son, a devoted brother, a honest friend  
We miss you.**_

**Chapter 11  
****BPOV**

"What are you doing here?" I gasped in horror, trying to hide my tear-stained face.

"I would ask you the same," Edward say, pointedly looking down at the gravestone. Emmett's grave. Oh God, I knew that my past would catch up with me. I knew that going to Phoenix was a bad idea. He's going to leave me now when I tell him the truth. He'll be disgusted by what I caused.

"Bella, what happened?" he asked me softly. I looked at him in the eye for the first time since he found me. He looked … confused and unhappy. I wanted more than anything to make it better, I didn't like it when Edward was unhappy. It made me unhappy. It was silent for a few minutes. "Please, Bella. I'm sick of trying to guess what happened and it's driving me crazy not knowing. I want to help you, I want you to know that you can confide in me. You do know that don't you?"

"Yes, of course," I said hurriedly. "I do know that. I'm just scared that you'll be mad at me and you won't want me anymore," I shared my fears.

"I promise I won't be angry at you. And I could never not want you. I love you and will to the day I cease to exist."

"OK," I said. "I'll tell you what happened. Emmett was… my brother," I tried to stop the tears coming. I heard Edward gasp.

"But you don't have a brother."

"I do… or rather I did. He died."

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry," he hugged me. "If you don't mind me asking, how did he die?"

"I'm getting to that. Emmett and I were … very close. Renée always said we were like two peas in a pod. He was always so attentive to me, his younger sister. Very protective."

**(I decided that I would put in some flashbacks here so you get an idea of the kind of brother Emmett was and how close the two were.)**

_Flashback (Emmett is 6 and Bella is 4)_

_I was starting kindergarten today and I couldn't wait! Emmie was going to walk in with me because mommy was busy with her work, so she just dropped us of at the gate. Emmie had started big boy school at the school beside my kindergarten. _

_I was so nervous when we walked in and I found about thirty kids my age playing all over the place. _

_A nice looking lady came over to us and bent down so I could look into her eyes without having to look way up and said, "Hello, you must be Bella. Welcome to kindergarten, do you want me to show you around?"_

_I nodded and put my thumb in my mouth. I was really shy, especially at that age. _

_I didn't want to leave Emmie though, all the kids already knew each other and were friends. I held onto his hand as if my life depended on it. He tried to tell me he had to go work but I started to cry. I couldn't do this without him._

_Eventually what happened was that the nice lady told Emmie's teacher about what was happening and said that he could be late 'just this once to help his little sister settle in'._

_He thanked me for getting him out of work. He thought that the work was really hard. The rest of the day we just played together in the sand and on the swings outside. He was always the more outgoing of the two of us and made some friends, even though they were two years younger than him. It was like people were just attracted to his light, he was happy all the time. He was the one who encouraged me to make friends with Catherine and Becky and we had been friends ever since then. _

_I also met a really annoying guy then as well, that I would be in the same class as him - unfortunately - until I moved to Forks. Mike was so possessive of the Barbies in kindergarten and us three would always fight with him over them._

_End Flashback_

_Flashback (Emmett is 10 and Bella is 8)_

"_Oh, Baby Bella Wella wants to go on our slide," teased the mean girl in my class - Aria - told the others. I blinked away tears in my eyes - why were they so mean? What did I ever do to them?_

_It was just a slide, but Aria, Phoebe and Katie had got it somehow into their heads that it was their slide and no one was allowed to go down it unless they had their permission. And now that I had decided to stand up to them and say that I wanted on the slide, all my friends were acting as if they didn't know me anymore. The three girls were making fun of me and I didn't like it._

_I wish Emmie was here._

_Phoebe pushed me down and they were all saying that they were being nice this time but if I done it again, then they would make sure I had no friends left and would hurt me._

_Emmett still went to this school and we had the same lunch, but he always hung out with his friends and played ball with them at the other side of the playground. He wouldn't be able to see the three girls being mean to me._

_I could see Becky and Catherine looking at me guiltily and then running off. I didn't blame them - Aria, Phoebe and Katie ruled our year and had the power to make or break us. They could make us avoided like the plague or they could make us the talk of the whole school, the IT girl. _

_They continued to be mean to me and were in the middle of calling me all these nasty names when a booming voice interrupted them. _

"_What do you think you're doing, Bratzillas?" Emmett glared at them, Catherine and Becky at either side of him. Now I understood - they had went to get backup in the form of my very tall - not to mention very strong - older brother. They helped me up and as a foursome we stared the three girls down._

_I knew that they would back off when Emmett came into the equation. They knew that he was fiercely protective of me and would be able to crush their social status in school. _

_Elementary school is nearly as bad as high school._

_End Flashback._

**(A/N I know the last one pretty much sucked but I couldn't think of anything else. :))**

"Renée was with Charlie for a few years, until Emmett was four and I was two. We lived in **(I had to change it to make my story work)** Seattle then but Charlie was trying to convince her that we should move back to Forks, his home town. Not only did Charlie miss it, he wanted to be nearer his parents as their health wasn't the best now that they were older. My parents' marriage had been on the rocks for quite a while and this was the last straw for them. They argued even more than they used to - which was a lot even before - and eventually Renée gave him an ultimatum - her or Forks. Charlie thought she was joking and that made Renée really mad that he wasn't taking her seriously. She moved us back to Phoenix and Charlie moved back to Forks. Emmett and I only saw him every summer when he would come see us as Renée refused to allow us to travel down to Forks.

"When I was thirteen and he was fifteen, Renée got together with Phil. She had had boyfriends before, but this was … different. She thought the world of him, though he was just ten years older than me! And he, I believe, loved her too.

"They got engaged, and then got married. I was the Maid of Honor and Emmett a groomsman. Emmett and I thought he was a nice man, and he made our mom happy so we were happy for them. The first few months when they were still newlyweds, were joyful for the most part. But then Phil mentioned having more children. He wanted a child of his own. But Renée couldn't have kids.

"When she was pregnant with me, there were … complications and when my mom went into labor with me, we nearly died. They managed to save us … at a price. My mom was barren, she couldn't have anymore children of her own. But she was happy with just the two of us. To be truthful I think she was a little bit relieved. She had two kids, a boy and a girl and that was enough.

"Phil was upset when he found out but told Renée that he was ok with it. He didn't want to upset her and he really was ok with it, at least for a little while. But then, he started to blame me, after all it **was **all my fault that my mother was infertile. He started to drink, not a lot at first but he started to rely on alcohol after a while. It was such a gradual process that my mom didn't realize he had a problem. He started to get really plastered, I mean **really **plastered.

"That was when he started to hurt me. It was about six months into their marriage when he came home drunk. Renée was at work and Emmett was at football practice. He was part of the team. Phil came stumbling into my room where I was doing something. I can't remember what. He took hold of my arm really tightly and started to shout at me. He told me how it was all my fault and that he was disgusted by even having to look at me. I didn't know what he was talking about at the time and I was trying to tell him he was hurting me. I was scared.

"He said 'You don't even know the meaning of "hurt". I'm going to show you what it really feels like'. And he did. Show me, that is. He started to kick me and punch me in the stomach. He said that if I ever told anyone, he would kill me. And Emmett. I might have told if it was just me. But he threatened Emmett's life as well. He was smart, he knew that I would never tell anyone if Emmett was at risk. When he finished, I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a lot of pain. Renée had already went to bed; Phil had told her that I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to be disturbed. Emmett was staying over at a friends' house." I could see Edward was shaking with anger and growling. I knew it. But I didn't stop talking. I felt relieved to get it of my chest. I needed to tell someone my story.

"I had broken two ribs and was covered in bruises. My leg was broken. When Phil saw the injuries he had done to me in the morning he brought me to the hospital. In the car going there, he threatened me again. He reminded me what he would do if I told anyone. I didn't tell. We said I fell down the stairs.

"Everyone believed the lie. I wasn't the most graceful of people and Phil had used that to his advantage. His beatings became regular but they weren't usually as bad as the first one. If I kept on breaking bones, it wouldn't take long for people to start to wonder. In Phoenix P.E. wasn't mandatory so I didn't do it. I wouldn't have done it anyways but Phil was the one who made sure I didn't do it. I covered myself with clothing to hide the bruises he left. Even when it was Summer. I pushed away Emmett. I knew he was hurt and confused that I was being distant with him. It was for the best.

"I started to sleepover at friends' houses more and more. Sometimes I could postpone going home for nearly a week. Even at sleepovers, I still covered myself up. I didn't want to show my friends that even my 'step-father' hated me. I knew it was all my fault.

"It continued for two years and Phil was getting more and more aggressive towards me. He didn't seem to care that I was having to go to the hospital at least twice a week. It seemed like he didn't really care that it was starting to look suspicious. As long as he hurt me bad, he was happy. Fortunately for him, the doctor he always sent me to was a friend of Phil's. He knew that Phil beat me but Phil always paid him money to keep this knowledge secret. I hated that doctor. He was fat and all he cared about was money. I called him Dr. Frankenstein.

"Phil was starting to get unsatisfied with the beatings that had now become regular. He always did it when it was just the two of us so no one could hear my screams. He always put tape over my mouth anyways so I wouldn't be so loud that the neighbors would hear. One day, after the usual routine of hurting me, he made me stand up even though it was too sore to stand. From then on, he would make me stand and do things that would stretch my muscles to make it even sorer on me **(Basically stuff like making her do the splits or jumping up and down even if she had broke her leg or something as it would hurt her even more without him having to do anything)**. He liked to see me in pain.

"I hated that Emmett and I weren't as close now. I became depressed and even considered suicide a few times. But I knew it would hurt Emmett and I had hurt him enough. That was when I started dreaming about you. Edward, you gave me hope of another life. A happy one," I looked up at Edward who still looked furious. For the first time I actually felt afraid of him. He looked so angry that he might… No, Edward would never hurt me! I can't believe that I ever even thought of that for a second. But the truth was, ever since Phil started to beat me, I couldn't stop flinching when people ever came near me thinking that they would hurt me as well. One time a teacher was talking to me, my class-work was starting to suffer because of the abuse, he leaned forward to get a pen and I thought he was going to hit me. I cringed away for him, anticipating the hit. When I opened my eyes, the teacher looked at me strangely and I made some excuse. I can't remember what - something about how I thought there was a wasp?

"Emmett was oblivious to the abuse until last November when I was in Sophomore year. Phil had been fired because of his excessive drinking and his violent treatment towards his colleagues. He was furious - angrier than I had ever seen him - and I was terrified he would kill me. He didn't care about people finding out and I think he would have killed me if Emmett hadn't come home early. He didn't have to worry about Renée coming home - she was at a bachelorette party for the whole weekend and wouldn't be home until Sunday night **(It was a Friday)**. Phil didn't realize that he was home until Emmett came into my bedroom. He had heard me screaming, muffled by the tape over my mouth. I can't imagine what he must have felt when he opened the door to find his baby sister, the person he thought that had no secrets from him, being tortured by the man he looked up to, the person who was nearly like a second father to him. I must have looked a sight - practically naked showing all the bruises and scars that had built up over the years, my leg broken (among other bones), bleeding, screaming out in pain. The bleeding alone was making me light-headed and I thought I was going to pass out.

"Phil and Emmett had hit it off by their mutual love of sports and I can safely say that he definitely liked Emmett better than me. I remember Emmett's expression of disgust, hatred and rage like it was just yesterday.

"All he said was "Oh my God". Phil wasn't quick enough to dodge the punch that hit him in the jaw. Emmett punched and kicked Phil until he had passed out and then he turned to me. He said "Oh my God. What has he done to you?" and then he lifted me up and got a blanket. He ran out of the house and into his car and then sped all the way to the hospital. He was so angry and I think he was tempted to leave me off at the hospital and then return home to kill Phil.

"He didn't know what to do on the drive. He never was good at the whole 'Doctor' thing and had no experience. He didn't do very well in Biology and although he took a class when he was younger to do with CPR and stuff like that, I don't think he was taught about what he should do in a situation if he just finds out that his sister has been beaten up for years by their step-father and for all he knew, could be dying from her injuries from a particularly brutal beating. In the end he just broke all the traffic rules and sped to the hospital at the fastest he could go.

"Dr. Frankenstein, my usual doctor, had been arrested after police found out about another similar case to mine and had got enough evidence to send him to court and hopefully prison. Not only that, but he wasn't even a real doctor! He had faked all his diplomas and hadn't even finished one semester of university before dropping out.

"So Emmett brought me to Dr. Frankenstein's replacement, Dr. Pattinson **(A/N - Now where have I heard that name before? lol)**.I was examined by the doctor and given some painkillers and sedatives. He told Emmett that I had a lot of injuries that had built up over the years and that he would discharge me on the condition that I had a lot of rest and didn't have to go through any stress. He told Emmett that it was obvious to anyone that I had been abused and that my former doctor must have known about it. He also encouraged Emmett to get in contact with the police and persuade me to ring a helpline or get some 'help from professionals' as the beatings must have taken a toll on me.

Emmett brought me back home and took me straight to bed. I didn't want to go to sleep but the medication made me drowsy so it wasn't long until I was. I didn't like sleeping anymore, I always got nightmares.

"I was asleep when everything went to a dramatic showdown but this is what happened. Phil was by then conscious and really mad. Emmett had interrupted his daily beating before he had finished and he had a lot of pent up energy still. They got into a very heated argument and it soon escalated into a full-on fight. Emmett won of course. He was the strongest and although Phil had more experience with fights, Emmett had better strategy. He left a note by my bedside table that said :-

"_Hey Bells,_

_I need to go on a drive to cool off. Every time I think of what he did to you, what you had to go through … it just makes me really mad. I should have been there for you. _

_Don't worry, __**He **__will never hurt you again. Over my dead body. _

_You'll notice your medication is beside your letter, as well as a glass of water. When I get back, we're going straight to the police. _

_I hope you will forgive me for not being there for you. What I just can't stop thinking is - why didn't you tell me?_

_Love you always,_

_Emmett_

_xxx_"

"You know it off by heart?" Edward asked me.

"Yes, it was the last note he ever wrote," I said as more tears rolled down my eyes. "There was a storm that night coincidently. It's actually really weird because there had hardly been any rain in weeks and then there is this big storm that night. I woke up hours later, it was about three in the morning by then, and saw his note. He had gone about nine and he still hadn't come back. I was worried. I was also home alone, Phil had left to stay with a friend of his. He was probably considering leaving the U.S. so that he wouldn't have to go to jail.

"The next morning, I got a phone call. I remember ringing Emmett's phone over and over again but his phone was off. In actual fact he forgot it. I picked up the phone at once, thinking it was Emmett. I hadn't got up at all, all morning. It hurt too much.

"It was the police. They had rang to say that Emmett had been in an accident. Because of the storm, the roads weren't good and one driver lost control of his car. At that moment, Emmett was on the other side of the road. They were also on a road right beside a cliff. It was very dangerous, because the cliff was really high and there have been more than a few accidents where drivers had went over the cliff. This cliff was so tall and there were rocks at the bottom that you had a zero chance of living through it. The driver's car collided into the side of Emmett's and they both went over. **(there are cliffs in Phoenix, right? Well if there aren't just pretend there is :P) **

"They found bits of Emmetts' car but that was all that was left of him," I couldn't hold back my sobs any longer and threw my arms around Edward's waist. When I could talk again I continued.

"Emmett's death struck me really hard, and I became even more depressed, if that was even possible. I blamed myself. When Phil found out that Emmett had died, he came straight back. He knew that I hadn't went to the police yet and came back to stop me. I didn't put up a fight. The only reason I had not killed myself earlier on was dead and it was all my fault.

"I didn't care about anything anymore. I felt numb. Some people would call it shock.

"I knew Emmett wouldn't have been happy if he was alive but this was what I deserved. Another pro for not going to the police was that Phil promised me that he wouldn't hurt me again if I didn't tell anyone.

"Months passed, and I was still grieving over Emmett's death. I didn't talk to anyone unless to answer a question and spent all my time in my room. I was like a robot. Emmett and I were so close and I hadn't spent this much time apart from him - ever. I would I have nothing to look forward to. The doctor who treated me the day Emmett died, continued to be my doctor. He tried to persuade me to go to the police, he said that I would be protected and that no man should be allowed to get away with the abuse he had administered to me.

"I just wanted to die. I didn't want to hurt my mom. I didn't want her to know what her husband really was. I've always felt protective of my mother, sometimes she's almost like a child in the way she acts. She had been hurt enough with Emmett's death that I didn't want to cause her any further distress. Dr. Pattinson though not happy with it, couldn't do anything. I had the law on my side. There were privacy laws. He could only go to the police if he had my permission.

"One night, about three months afterwards I drove to the cliff where Emmett had fell to his death. It was night and I had snuck out. I looked down at the rocks and the little lake below and I let it all out. I screamed and I cried until I couldn't do it anymore. I decided that I would die the same way Emmett did and even wrote a suicide note, apologizing to Renée and telling her the truth. I left it in my truck and walked back over to the cliff edge. I was about to jump when I heard Emmett's voice inside my head. I imagined what he would say if he knew what I was about to do. He was yelling at me to stop and to just live the life he couldn't anymore. I couldn't do it. I was a coward and in the end just drove back home.

"That was the first night I started to dream of you.

"One evening, Renée was away out with some friends. Phil was still without a job so he just hung around the house. Either that or he was out drinking. I tried to avoid him as much as possible but we lived in the same house, our rooms just two rooms apart. It was difficult. Anyways, he broke his promise.

"He hurt me. After that, I went to the hospital. Dr. Pattinson was really angry. Although he wasn't happy with my insistence at not telling anyone, it wasn't like I was being beaten still. I snapped.

"I didn't want to live this life anymore and I decided that I would talk to Renée when she got back. Tell her the truth. I wanted to tell her first so that the first time she heard about it wouldn't be when he was being arrested. She deserved at least that much.

"She didn't believe me. She thought I was fabricating it to get attention. She thought that I was only saying it to hurt her and that she didn't know who I was anymore. She disowned me.

"I realized then that no one would believe me. And why shouldn't they? Phil was a respected member of the community, a loving husband and a 'doting' step-father. Albeit the getting fired and the drinking. But no one knew any of that. Renée knew, I suppose. But only to an extent - she didn't know the real Phil beneath all the charm. No one outside our family knew any of it. It would come as a shock and I hadn't been the most sane since Emmett's death. They would probably think I was delusional. I was wicked.

"So, I decided it would just be best if I left. Never bothered them again. Let Renée live her life with her 'dream husband'. I knew Phil loved my mother deep down so I figured that he wouldn't hurt her. And really, the only reason he hurt me in the first place was because I killed his only chance to have a child of his own. Well, at least with Renée. I moved in with my dad, I told him parts. Not every single detail but enough for Charlie to nearly go of in a killing rage across the states separating them on the way to kill him. I managed to convince him not to though he wants me to go to the police as well. I told him I would think about it so he's got of my back for a little while so I could think things over.

"And then I met you, the most perfect guy from my dreams. You've been the happiest I've ever been in my life and have given me a reason to live again," I stroked his cheek. "I didn't want to lie to you, I wanted to tell you before but I knew that you wouldn't want me anymore once I told you about it. I don't blame you.

"And just when I was happy and starting to contemplate the idea that it might just be over, I find out that Renée has been beat up. Isn't that a coincidence. That she tries to phone me and emails me for the first time since I left. And all it said in her email was 'I'm so sorry for not believing you'. When I went to Renée's house yesterday, she was … defensive, and claimed that she didn't even write the email. She said that she was really mugged and that she couldn't believe how I could be so insensitive to come here now after all I had said to her about Phil.

"Phil has gotten to Renée and I don't know what to do. I can't just live my life as normal, knowing that Phil may be hurting her right this second. And I can't do anything to stop it and I just feel so useless. I still miss Emmett as well. Sometimes I feel guilty when I'm around you or the rest of your family. I can't believe how I can be happy when my brother, my closest friend is dead and it should have been me who died, not him. Not him," my voice broke and I started crying again. I took a minute to collect myself before I continued.

"So now I've told you the whole story. Please believe me, I'm not making any of this up." I looked Edward in the eyes and saw many emotions. Anger, hate, sadness, guilt. So many emotions raging in his eyes begging to shoot out and take charge.

"I believe you, but why do you think that I won't want you anymore because of something that was entirely not your fault?" he asked me genuinely confused. He had managed to grab a hold of his emotions and didn't look as angry as before. I knew it was all an act though, if anything he was even more furious than before, if that was even possible, by the end of my speech. His eyes were like two balls of angry black fire and his mouth was set in a straight line.

"Edward, my step-father hated me that much that he beat me half to death and I caused my brother's death! Why are you not running?"

"Bella, I told you before. I love you and none of this was your fault!" he finally exploded. "Emmett's death was a terrible tragedy but you didn't cause it. You weren't the person who pushed his car over the cliff nor were you the reason he went driving that night in the first place. If anyone's fault it is Phil's!" he spat the name. "He is a monster for treating you and your mother in this way. I would gladly kill him myself!"

"No," I gasped, alarmed. "No, you can't kill him!"

"And why not?! He hurt the woman I love and blackmailed her! It's not like anyone would miss him!"

"I'm not allowing you to get into trouble over something that is my fault," I said firmly. He was about to protest but I put a hand over his mouth and said, "It is my fault so don't say it isn't! Ok?"

He sighed but nodded. As soon as I put my hand away he however went on with his speech about how it wasn't my fault etc. and then he went on to say that he had to do something about it.

It was starting to get cold and I shivered. He noticed and he took of his jacket and put it around me. He led me back to his car and told me to get in. He said that he would come back for the other car later. I decided it would be a good idea to go back to the hotel room and get Carlisle's help to try to stop Edward from doing something he would regret to Phil.

On the way home, we were still arguing about Phil. He thought he should kill Phil or at least me go to the police and get him arrested. I wanted to just forget the whole thing, to not have to hurt anymore and convince Renée to leave Phil.

When we got in I went straight to Carlisle and told him that Edward was being unreasonable and asked him to show Edward some sense.

"What is this about?" he asked me as he stared at Edward. He looked troubled. "What has got him so … furious? I've never seen him this angry before in all the decades I've known him."

I hesitated. Telling Edward had taken a lot out of me and as much as I trusted all the Cullens, I wasn't sure what Carlisle would think. Maybe he wouldn't want his son hanging out with a girl who had caused her brother's death. Although I knew that if Edward was determined about something, he would do it, no matter what people told him to make it less desirable.

I didn't know if I would be able to tell my story all over again without breaking down.

Edward rescued me by telling Carlisle what had happened though not in the words I would have used. "Carlisle, her stepfather has been beating Bella ever since he married her mother. Bella's brother, Emmett, found out about it last year but he died the same night. Phil has now moved on to beating her mother after she moved to Forks and Bella has been blaming herself for everything, none that is her fault of course. To be truthful, I think that we should kill Phil for what he has done to her and her family or at the least get him locked up in prison so he can't hurt her or her mother again. She thinks that we should just forget about it and let him move on to some other innocent person," he said curtly, staring at me.

Was he right that by asking him to not do anything, I was giving him the chance to hurt and ruin more families? And if I was then I wasn't that much better than Phil, was I? But if I did tell Edward to go kill Phil for me then I was just as bad as Phil. I couldn't win either way.

Unless I went to the police. He would be arrested and the remains of my family would be safe, right? Or it would give him a viable reason to hunt me down and kill me. If not him, then one of his friends. I wasn't scared about that - as much as I was terrified of Phil and what he could do to me, I knew that he didn't stand a chance when I had the Cullens as my protectors. But what about Renée? She had no one to protect her and if Phil was sent to prison, she would be all alone as well.

I knew that Charlie would offer her to stay with us in Forks until she had gotten everything sorted out but would she agree? She refused any help from him or her parents when she moved us away to Phoenix. She wanted some independence, she wanted to be able to say that she had accomplished all this all by herself.

Carlisle looked very angry as well. But why? We had only met on two occasions … Or maybe it was the principle of the matter that angered him. Edward had told me he was the most compassionate of them, so that was why he was angry.

"Bella, you have to do something about this. If you don't, I will happily help Edward kill him," he said, with not one hint of amusement on his face. He was _serious_.

"What can I do?" I cried. "I'm only a teen girl. I have nothing in my favor! No one would believe me!"

Edward laughed harshly. "You think that six vampires is not giving you the upper hand?!"

Hmmm, he had a point. I pondered for a minute before making my final decision. "OK, ok. I'll … go to the police in the morning." Carlisle and Edward especially, grudgingly accepted my promise but they didn't look completely appeased. I knew Edward was secretly hoping I would allow him to at least rough Phil up a bit. "But!" I warned. They looked at me warily. "You are not allowed to 'teach him a lesson' or hurt him in any way. You are not allowed to meet with him or be in any contact at all. If you disobey any of these rules, then I'll tell the police it was all a lie. Ok?"

"Fine," Edward gave up. He sat down on the chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'll order some food. What do you want, Bella?" Carlisle asked me kindly.

"Can I just have a cheeseburger and some fries, please?" I hadn't realized how hungry I was until Carlisle mentioned food.

He nodded and rang the room service up. Fifteen minutes later they arrived from the restaurant downstairs. I sat down and ate happily. Fries are wonderful.

Edward still hadn't moved from his spot.

It was only eight o'clock by the time I finished; it felt like today had lasted a year. So much had happened. Edward had found out more about me than anyone else. I had finally came to terms with Emmett's death. I stopped my vampire boyfriend from murdering my stepfather even though he deserved it. Carlisle tried his first cheeseburger (though he thought it tasted like dirt).

I knew tomorrow was going to be a even longer day …

* * *

**So there you have it! : )**

**I would really like to know what you think of this chapter, especially because personally I don****'****t think I wrote it well :P So please review. Every person that reviews gets an extra never been seen before EXCLUSIVE flashback of Emmett and Bella and I think it****'****s really cute. :) Who doesn't want that?! Even if you don****'****t have a fan fiction account, just put in your email with your review and I****'****ll send it via email! **

**Ok, now I****'****m all sad from writing it! It is a sad chapter, one of the saddest I****'****ve ever written and I****'****m so sorry that I killed off Emmett, one of my favourite characters in the books. It was needed for my plot to work out so I hope you guys forgive me. When I first thought up this plot line back in April and I couldn****'****t get it out of my head, I didn****'****t think of Emmett being the brother. Originally I was thinking along the lines of making up a character of my own for the brother, and calling him something like Nigel (ok maybe not Nigel but some random name like that). Haha But then I thought that it would be better if I used an existing character, someone everyone likes so that it really drives home to people what Bella is going through. :P**

**Some mood music I think fits well with this chapter (I usually don****'****t do these but I think music plays a big part in this chapter, it talks about - or rather sings about all the issues in this chapter. I hope that if you haven****'****t heard one of these songs before, you****'****ll listen to them because personally I love all these songs):-**

_**Hurt by Christina Aguilera **_**(I think this one****'****s self-explanatory really. It****'****s really just a song that I think conveys really well what Bella is feeling after Emmett dies)  
**_**My Immortal by Evanescence**_**(I know everyone thinks that this song is really New Moony, I agree but I also think it describes Bella and Emmett****'****s relationship perfectly and how she misses him)  
**_**Hear Me by Kelly Clarkson **_**(I also thought that this was the perfect New Moon song but it also works here really well. Basically the song is about Bella on her own crying out for someone to hear her (Edward). This song goes after she starts dreaming about Edward and after Emmett dies.)  
**_**Tourniquet by Evanescence **_**(After Emmett dies, when she****'****s in the depths of depression (lol that sounds funny) and wants to die. Before she starts dreaming of Edward though so its when she thinks no one cares about her or would ever care for her and she just wants to not feel the pain anymore. Around about the time she nearly jumped of the cliff)  
**_**I Hate Myself For Losing You by Kelly Clarkson **_**(Again self-explanatory. It****'****s just how Bella blames herself and how she hates herself for causing Emmett****'****s death. Ok, so it****'****s actually about a girl who****'****s boyfriend left her for another woman but really I think it goes well.)  
**_**From Where You Are by Lifehouse **_**(I love this song and I really think it suits this chapter and story. This song is about teenagers dying in car accidents and how did Emmett die? A car accident!)**

**Sorry again for killing off Emmett! :(**

**Ok, I****'****m really trying to shorten my ending A/Ns! Next chapter, I swear it will just be a few lines!**

**Love  
****Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo :)****  
****xXx**


	11. The Aftermath

**Sorry, it's took so long. I'm not even going to try to excuse myself -all I can offer is two very long chapters. I will post chapter 12 tomorrow. All I can say in my defence is my laptop kept on breaking and my internet... and my microsoft. :L**

**Disclaimer :- I do not own twilight. **

**Quick recap:- Edward and Bella are in Phoenix because Renée was 'mugged' and had been seriously hurt. Edward thinks Bella is with some friends in Phoenix when he drives past a graveyard - Bella is there. He finds her beside a gravestone for someone called Emmett Charlie Swan. Bella then tells Edward the truth - Emmett is her brother and died a few years ago. Renée wasn't really mugged; Phil (her husband) did it to her, and she wasn't the first person Phil had physically abused. Phil had beat and hurt Bella when she lived with them, until the day Emmett came in and saw Phil beating her. After Emmett kicked Phil out, he went out for a drive while Bella slept. He died that night in a car accident. Bella still blames herself and Edward wants Bella to press charges against Phil.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**EPOV**

I couldn't believe what Bella must have gone through - what she still must be going through. It was just unfair that a beautiful angel had to be the one who had to live with a monster. Who still lived with the scars - both physically and mentally - years after the abuse started and after a year since it had stopped. It was just unbelievable.

I just felt so … helpless. An emotion I hadn't felt since before I was changed, when I was powerless to stop the Spanish Influenza, when I was lying in hospital knowing I was dying, knowing that my mother and father were dying too. I wanted to kill that step-father of hers, that **monster**. I had never wanted to kill or harm someone as much as him. What he had done to Bella… It was just wrong. I wanted some justice. I **needed **revenge.

But I had promised Bella. I promised I would not harm him. It was the least I could do, I felt so guilty that I hadn't been there when she needed me, a protector. I could have stopped this long before and her brother wouldn't have died. Bella wouldn't feel responsible for his death and wouldn't feel guilty. All I could do was make sure he never touched or hurt Bella again.

Maybe I could make his death look like an accident. That wouldn't be much fun though, I would have to make sure he _looked _like he was in an accident. I wouldn't be able to torture him like he had done to Bella, to make him die a very painful death. I wouldn't even drink from him. Who would - he was vile and his blood probably was as agreeable and desirable as his personality.

Unfortunately I knew Bella would figure out. She would have to be pretty dim-witted not to, I mean it would be too much of a coincidence. She finally tells me the truth about it, and has to practically restrain me from running off to kill him. And then the same night, he's killed in some freak accident! I didn't want to disappoint Bella, I don't want to go behind her back.

Even though I was all too aware of how kind and good Bella was, and how I didn't deserve her; I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't as bad as a person as I was. I knew that no one except her would forgive me for all my faults and shortcomings, and I was just so glad that I had the fortune that she had returned my feelings. I knew I couldn't erase my past - nothing I could do could change the fact that I was once a cold-blooded murderer - but I would try hard to make up for it.

Bella was turning me into a better person, I knew. Before Bella, I wouldn't have thought twice about killing him but then again, I had never felt so strongly a hate for a man I had never met. I would have killed him regardless.

How had I not saw it? How had I not figured it out? Now that I thought over everything - all the clues, all the things that never made sense before - it was just so obvious. I was so stupid. Even when it was lying right there in front of me, I still hadn't realised. And I was supposed to be smart, I had graduated over and over again and had even tried out being a detective for a few years before we moved again, back in the '70s. And I still hadn't figured it out. I had thought the exact opposite from what was true. I had thought she preferred it in Phoenix and she hated living in Forks. The only thing that was making it passably ok was me and the rest of the Cullens.

And now to know that her step dad had done this to her was life changing in a way. Mind-blowing. I was in no way naïve; I had seen too much of the world to be classified as naïve. But it was different when it happens to some stranger than if it happens to someone you know. Not even know but if it's the love of your existence. Even that sounds too small, too insignificant when I think of how much I love Bella. She was more than the love of my existence, she was my life. She was the reason I went through everyday and she was who I thought of first.

And to know that someone had harmed her, made her feel guilty. Put her through so much pain and grief and hadn't even been punished was torture.

"Edward, it's not your fault," Carlisle said softly from behind me. I was still sitting in the same position from when Bella had left to go to bed. "Don't blame yourself. How were you supposed to know?"

"Carlisle, I'm supposed to be there for her and I wasn't when she needed it most," I stated, angry at myself.

"But don't you see, you **were **there for her. You were there for each other. In her dreams. You saved her, Edward, even if you don't know it," Carlisle said earnestly.

"If I had been there, I could have stopped it. Her brother wouldn't have died and she wouldn't have been hurt. How can I not blame myself?"

"Because it wasn't your fault. Edward, it's a terrible tragedy that this happened to Bella. Neither her nor anyone else should have to go through that. But it does happen. This world isn't perfect, you should know that more than most people. I do agree that Bella's step-father needs to be punished for what he had done, but he will get what he deserved. Whether if it is when he dies and goes to hell or when he is alive and is thrown into prison. All you can do now is support Bella and show her how much you love her. She needs to know that you are there for her and aren't going to leave her. She's insecure and now we know the reason for that."

"I know," I said, defeat coming into my voice. Today had been very emotionally draining and I wished I could have a retreat, a safe haven and just go to sleep like a normal human. I could never go to sleep so I did the next best thing. I kept busy. "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

"Yes," he agreed. "We'll need to contact a lawyer, her previous doctor, the police obviously and we should probably warn her mother," he listed.

"Her mother," I growled. "Her mother deserves nothing of the sort. She is nearly as bad as that … _**man**_."

"Edward," Carlisle said reprovingly. "We know nothing of Bella's mother except what we have heard from Bella herself and from all the gossipers in Forks. She has been through a lot though. Married young, had two kids and then broke up with the father. She had to bring up Emmett and Bella alone and then she meets Phil. She probably thinks he's her soul mate and marries him. And then her son dies leaving the only child she has left distraught. And then out of the blue, she tells her how her husband has been torturing her daughter. She doesn't want to believe it's true so says some things she regrets. And then when her only child left moves away because of what she said, she's probably feeling horrible. And to make matters worse, it turns out Bella was telling the truth and she gets to experience first hand what Bella had gone through. I'm not siding with her or anything. It was wrong of her but I do understand her way of thinking. I feel sorry for her."

"Dad, she turned her back on her own daughter!" I exclaimed.

"You don't know that," Carlisle stated. "Bella's mother may have just done what she thought best at the time. She may have been misguided but I like to think that her heart was in the right place."

I needed some air. I needed to think matters over. I wanted to be able to go huntingbut generally there isn't wildlife fit for hunting in the middle of Phoenix. I wanted to fight a bear or something, I wanted an outlet to my frustration and my anger. More than anything, I wanted justice.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," I told my father as I walked over to the hotel door. As I was about to open the door, Carlisle flew in front of me.

"Edward, you promised Bella that you wouldn't hurt Phil."

"I'm not, I swear. I just need to go on a drive."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle hesitated.

He wasn't questioning if I was sure I needed to go on a drive, he was asking if I was sure I wouldn't do something I would regret later. He was asking me if going out on a drive would be wise given the mood I was in.

"I'll be back in a hour," I assured him. "Bella usually gets her nightmares around then anyways. It'll probably be worse than usual given what happened today. If her nightmares start before I come back, phone me."

"Ok," Carlisle said unsurely. _Are you sure, Edward? _he asked me once more only silently in his thoughts.

I nodded once more before opening the door and getting a lift down to the car park.

Once I had got into my car and started the engine, I asked myself where I should go. It was half 10 at night so a lot of drunk humans and humans going out clubbing would be about. I decided I would just wander about.

I turned two lefts and then stopped at an intersection. I noticed my hands had a death grip on the steering wheel and immediately unclenched them to see that it had become all deformed. I groaned silently to myself. How was I going to explain the misshaped steering wheel to the company I had rented the car from?

I tested it to see if I could drive in it. Surprisingly if I moved my hands in a certain way then it worked. I better phone Rosalie for some help later on.

I had been on the road for about 15 to 20 minutes when I realised that I had turned into a familiar area. It was where Renée and Phil lived. I knew I should leave as soon as possible; there was no need to stray into temptation. And believe me, the temptation was very strong. To know that he was probably sleeping just a few houses away from me and through a few walls. I clenched my hands and breathed slow, claming breaths. It didn't help.

"_He started to blame me…"_

"_He hurt me…"_

"_Even my step-father hated me… more and more aggressive towards me…"_

"_He liked to see me in pain."_

"_I became depressed and even considered suicide… I was terrified he would kill me."_

"_I hated myself."_

I gritted my teeth and my hands automatically clenched once more as I heard Bella's tearful words resound and repeat over and over again in my head.

"_My fault… I caused my own brother's death!"_

"_My step-father hated me that much that he beat me half to death!"_

"_Why are you not running?"_

I put the car back into gear and sped out to in front of **his **house. I got out of the car and locked the door casually.

I knew I had promised Bella that I wouldn't but that was before my mind, her words and Phil himself worked together to make me think of nothing else. It kept on repeating those words over and over again and I needed an outlet. I needed revenge.

_I'm so sorry, Bella. I have failed you, _I thought to myself as I walked up the short driveway. I knew I should turn back right now when I was still not guilty but I couldn't. This was no longer a matter of urges and craving to kill him, this was something I had to do. I could not turn away from this.

I looked through a window on the ground floor and saw the living room. I decided to try and find an open door or window, if not open then loose. I needed a way to get into the house without breaking anything and waking anyone up in the house. I needed to be silent.

As I was looking around the windows trying to find one that was open enough for me to fit in when I found myself looking into a bedroom. I could see - and hear - two shapes resembling people underneath the duvet, sleeping and snoring. This must be Renée and Phil.

Funny, I wouldn't have thought that any woman would sleep with a man who had beaten her and her daughter up many times.

"_No! You can't kill him!" _

"_I'm not allowing you to get into trouble over something that is my fault."_

I stopped what I was doing as I heard Bella's desperate pleas that I wouldn't kill him, from earlier.

"_Edward, you promised Bella that you wouldn't hurt Phil." _

I remembered Carlisle's rational tone of voice. _"It would just hurt Bella more. It wouldn't solve anything," _his voice echoed in my head.

All thoughts and wishes to kill him were immediately put on silent. They hadn't vanished but they weren't in combat with the more rational side of me and Carlisle's words anymore. They were put on mute.

_Bella wouldn't want this. I promised her I wouldn't hurt Phil. _

I couldn't believe how close I had come to breaking my promise. I wanted to show Bella that because of her I was a better man, and the first thing (ok, maybe not the first thing) I did was nearly murder her mother's husband. Even if he did deserve it.

Shakily, I made my way slowly back to the hotel. For once I didn't want to drive really fast. I suppose to the vast majority of drivers, they would still think I was going very, very fast but to me, it was the equivalence of the speed of a snail. I looked at the clock to see that it was around the time Bella got her nightmares so I quickened up the last few streets until I got to the hotel car park. I briskly made my way to the hotel room.

As soon as I got in, Carlisle jumped up looking anxious and very relieved to see me. "Thank goodness your back. I thought you were going… it doesn't matter now," he said edgily.

I knew what he meant. I knew that he thought that I had went to see Phil. I was shocked at my self-control as well. I didn't think I was strong enough. Then again, I wasn't out of the woods yet. I still had to go through the inevitable - I would meet Phil formally as her boyfriend one time or another, but hopefully only in the court room at the trial. With any luck we can persuade Renée to press charges as well. If both Bella and Renée do then it is a given that he will be prosecuted. Even if she refuses, we still have a very strong case. The evidence Bella had kept just in case, not to mention Dr. Pattinson's reports was so concrete and sure that Phil would need a miracle to get out of this.

"I'm going to see Bella," I said to Carlisle.

I walked in. Bella was asleep. Good, she had been through a rough day. I stayed with her for the rest of the night, comforting her when needed and chuckling to myself when her dreams became very random.

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

At dawn, I got up from my position at Bella's side to go into the main room to talk to Carlisle. Get some breakfast together for Bella.

"Is she still sleeping?" asked Carlisle looking up from his laptop. I looked at the internet browser on his computer. He was looking up cases where children were beaten by their parents or guardians.

"Yes," I said as I leaned down so I was at eye level with the computer. Horrific articles where children had been beaten up by people they should be able to trust were being described. Images as well in some of the articles. It was horrifying.

"…_I used to have so much hate in me, especially because that was not the end. When I was nine, my mother left my father and finally stood with one guy. He used to beat all of us so badly. He hated my baby brother. When he was about four, my so-called stepdad hit my brother so bad and my brother was so afraid of him. Then one day when he was going to hit him again, my brother took a toy knife and was trying to make it like he was going to cut him for hitting him. He really got a bad beating, and then he was put in the washer and he would just close the lid and leave him there…"_

I maximised another internet browser to see another article someone had posted about the abuse they had went through.

"…_I am not writing this for others to lose hope. I simply do not know how to heal, and it has been five years. I cannot see how anything with what has happened has become any easier. My best friend's former stepfather molested me when I was 13 years old. It happened during a Halloween party while we were all drinking. I told him that he shouldn't be doing it. I never said an actual "no" even though I wanted to, and I didn't fight back. With that and being intoxicated, I have always believed it was my fault. If I wasn't drunk, it wouldn't have happened. If I had screamed, someone would have heard. But I was too scared…"_

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Carlisle said softly, his face sad and remorseful. "Those poor children…"

"I know, and to think that Bella was one of them," I inhaled sharply.

He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Both you and her are doing great. You're dealing with this better than anyone could hope for and it doesn't seem like Bella regrets telling you.

"He won't get away with this and in a few months he will be out of both Bella and her mother's life for good. He will be sent to jail where he belongs and Bella will be allowed to rest easy."

"Thanks, I don't know if I could do this without you," I smiled thinly at him.

"No problem, Edward," my father told me, the love he held for me evident in his eyes. "I will order some breakfast for Bella now; I hear her moving about in her room."

"I'll go say good morning to Bella."

"_Edward, you are so whipped," _Carlisle laughed in his thoughts though I could tell he was pleased I had became so taken with a woman. One word of advice though - don't ever let your 300-and-something years old dad watch teenage movies when he was very bored one night when the girls were out hunting. Seriously. The consequences are not pretty. Your ancient vampire dad quoting American Pie and other teenage comedies, even though he didn't like it because the men in it were so disrespectful towards women?

I ignored his thoughts and opened the door to Bella's room. Carlisle was right - she was awake and up and about. _**And in the middle of getting dressed.**_

I gasped as I saw the perfection that was Bella's body. All she was clothed in was a bra and boy-short… um… _underwear_. Her beautiful back was marred however by small scars. Not big ones, but scars nonetheless. They were quite noticeable as she was so pale and the scars red in comparison. There seemed to be about 5 in total.

Bella - seeing me - gasped loudly as well and quickly snatched up her dressing gown and put it on. Her face went a beat-root red colour and she looked absolutely mortified.

My world turned red. I stormed out of the room to find a startled Carlisle. "What's wrong, Edward? Is Bella ok?"

"I'm going to kill him!" I exclaimed furiously.

"Now, calm down, Edward. Don't let your temper get the better of you. Tell me exactly what happened," he commanded.

"He-" my voice stopped at the sound of Bella sobbing.

**BPOV**

Oh my God. He saw me in just my underwear. Not only that, he saw my _scars_. He won't want me now that he's seen them. The hopelessness of my situation brought tears to my eyes and though I tried to stop them, I started to sob loudly.

I dropped down onto the bed, and brought my knees up to my chest.

_He didn't want me anymore. As soon as he saw the real me underneath all my clothes, he couldn't get away quick enough._

I sniffled pathetically and continued to cry.

"Bella?" a velvety voice called anxiously at my side. He pulled me towards him and I leaned onto his strong, hard, cold chest. How could Edward stand the sight of me after what he had seen? Why was he comforting me? "Bella, it's alright. I'm sorry," he said frantically. "Are you hurt? Why are you crying?"

I hugged him tightly and endeavoured to stop my crying. He started to rub my arms together and returned the hug.

"I thou-thought y-you didn't w-want me," I sniffled, stuttering a little. Ok, stuttering a **lot**.

"Silly Bella," Edward said intensely. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, how much I need you in my life? Why did you think I didn't want you? Do you really doubt my love for you that much?" he asked woundingly.

"I th-thought you were a-angry at me," I shared my fears. "I thought that you ran from me because you were d-dis-disgusted by me."

His voice quickly turned to anger. "Bella, I could never be angry at you! I was angry that you had been put in this position, that you had been hurt so badly. I was angry at Phil! Angry at myself! Never did I feel that it was your fault or you deserved it!"

"But why do you feel angry at yourself?" I asked, puzzled. "You were not to blame. I didn't even know you when this all happened?"

"Exactly, my love. I should have been there for you. I should have protected you!"

"Edward, you're not being fair on yourself," I exclaimed. "It wasn't your fault that I hadn't met you yet, neither was it mine. I do not doubt that you would have protected me if we had met then, and that's what matters."

He nodded slowly, considering my words but reluctant to agree.

By now I wasn't crying anymore and all that was left of my crying episode was my red, puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Oh… um… do you want me to give you some privacy to get dressed?" Edward stumbled over his words and edged his way to the door. I looked down to see my dressing gown had fallen open and _everything _was exposed. I squeaked and blushed and quickly closed my dressing gown.

When Edward left the room, closing the door behind him, I quickly got dressed.

As I put on my top, my mobile rang. I hurriedly ran over to it across the room, tripping once or twice on the way.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Bella! Oh my God, I am so sorry about Phil! I can't believe it!" Alice's voice cried over the phone. She sounded upset.

"Did Edward or Carlisle phone you?" I asked her.

"No, Bella, I had a vision," she said, an unspoken 'duh' hanging in the air. "Well, I had it yesterday but Jazz said I should wait until today because you obviously have a lot to talk to Edward about." I pictured her pouting when she said this. "Bella, if you want I can come out there to be with you. It wouldn't be any trouble."

"No! I've already caused enough trouble in your family. I don't want to be the cause of you missing that mall opening," I told her.

"Oh, don't worry about the mall opening. You're more important. Yes, I have decided. I'm getting the next plane over to Phoenix. Don't try to stop me. I know you need some cheering up and I know exactly how to achieve that!"

"How?" I asked warily.

"Shopping trip!" she squealed into the phone. "Everyone knows that if a girl is feeling down, then you go on a shopping spree. Also I've heard that girls like chocolate when they're sad and girly nights," she said thoughtfully.

"Alice, I don't really see the point in your coming. I mean, we're supposed to be leaving tomorrow afternoon anyways. I don't really think we would have time to do all that," I told her trying to sound sad but secretly relieved that I wouldn't have to go shopping.

"No, you won't be able to leave that early," she said sounding very sure of herself. "I had a vision and you won't be able to leave until everything is sorted with the police, Phil and your mother has been sorted out. Also I'll get Charlie to come up with me. He'll need to be there also."

"No! Not Charlie!" I said dismally into the phone. "Do you know how angry he was just hearing the tip of the iceberg what Phil done to me?! Can you imagine what he would be like when he hears the whole story?!"

"He'll be fine… eventually," her voice turned soft. "He's going to find out eventually with the trial and everything. I think he would prefer to hear it from you, rather than the police or even worse a newspaper or on TV! I'll make sure that he leaves his gun behind though. I do not doubt that he will be furious but he loves you, Bella, and he wouldn't want to stoop to Phil's level."

"Fine, get him to come then," I gave in. "But, what about school?"

"Oh, school is no problem, Bells. The teachers will not be angry when they find out about the reason of our absence. In fact they won't even make you do work at home, and will tell you to take your time in coming back to school! Plus if worse comes to worse and when you come back to school, we can tutor you, get you up to date. We have went through high school countless times so it is no trouble. You will only miss most of this week anyways."

"I suppose," I said doubtfully.

"I suppose nothing," Alice said lightly. "I'm a psychic after all, I know that everything will be fine with school and with Charlie."

"Bella! We've got some breakfast for you," called Carlisle from the closed door. "Tell Alice that we will see her soon and to please get off the phone."

"I heard that," laughed Alice. "Well, I'll see you later on. Remember, you **are **worth it. Edward loves you unconditionally and he doesn't think any less of you about _Phil hurting you_," she hissed the last few words.

"Bye Alice," I said, surprisingly feeling close to tears.

"Oh, and Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Emmett."

She hung up.

She rang a second later. "Oh I forgot to say, you have **got **to change that t-shirt you're wearing. Does **not **go with the jeans. Put on the blue shirt I got you last week." She hung up again without waiting for an answer.

I took a few calming breathes as I stood in the middle of my room. I looked down at what I was wearing. I had thought it was ok, but obviously Alice didn't.

I briefly considered just wearing the top I had on anyways; it wasn't like she would know. Oh wait, she would - 1. She would be here sometime today and 2. All she had to do was check up on me with her psychic abilities.

Damn. Now I'll have to get changed. I quickly put on the Alice-approved shirt making sure I didn't look at myself in the mirror. I didn't want to see the scars that had freaked out Edward. After yesterday, the memory of everything was too fresh.

As I made the bed, I found a book. It must have been left by the previous residents of this hotel room. It didn't have a name on it, just a plain binding. I opened the first page to see if it had the name of the book there. I realised then that this was not a proper reading book, like a novel, that it was just a personal note book. I found it curious however that it didn't even have a name on it.

It had a pencil in the middle of the book and I opened to that page. On the page was a poem, a handwritten poem. The person who owned this book, was obviously a poet. The title was Eternal Sleep. It sounded interesting so I read it through.

_**Eternal Sleep**_

_A burning passion_

_ An internal rage_

_ A wounded animal _

_Chained in a cage _

_Purplish bruises _

_Outlined her smooth skin _

_She cowered afraid _

_As the pain burned within _

_A fist to her ribs _

_Cold words in her ear _

_Eyes dark and distant _

_Held unyielding fear _

_Shoved and hit hard _

_Bruised bones oh so frail _

_The dark abyss _

_Of emotional hell _

_Weakened knees gave way _

_As she fell to weep_

_ And closed her eyes _

_Praying for eternal sleep _

It was quite short but it was enough to convey the hopelessness, the pain of abuse. It reminded me of _then_. The _then _that I had tried feverishly to forget. I just wanted to be an ordinary girl again, untouched by such matters. I turned to the next page to see more poetry.

_**Haunting Me**_

_You are haunting me, _

_I feel you words, _

_Everywhere I go, _

_Your bitter punches, _

_Are always there, _

_You are in my mind, _

_All the time, _

_I'm going mad I can feel it, _

_My rage is bubbling over,_

_ I see you everywhere,_

_ Your words feed themselves, _

_Into all fiction I read,_

_ Your mind still slices me, _

_Though you are a million miles away, _

_The food I eat tastes of you, _

_Repulsive and dire, _

_And when I drink to wash it off, _

_All I find is you in my mind, _

_You are permanent, _

_You and your bitterness will never leave me, _

_I see it everywhere, _

_I see an advert on the wall, _

_And instead of the advert, _

_I see a picture of you, _

_You are following me – get away! _

_I here myself say, _

_I am going mad, _

_This is bad, _

_Look what you have done, _

_You filthy scum, _

_Years of torture, _

_Have led to this, _

_A life time of madness, _

_You are haunting me. _

I jumped when Edward's voice sounded behind me. "What is that?" he asked, gesturing towards the book.

"It's a book of poems. It must have been left behind by the last person who stayed in this room," I said, still looking at the book. I passed it to him and pointed to the poem.

Two seconds later, he looked up from the poem. He was a very fast reader. He put an arm around me and said, "You ready for breakfast?" He knew I wasn't ready to talk about the poem and how it had reminded me of things I just wanted to forget. But I _**couldn't**_. **He **wouldn't let me.

Edward knew me very well. He knew that I wasn't ready to talk about it.

We went through together into the main room and I sat down in the seat Edward offered. We were sitting in front of a six chaired table. Carlisle set a plate of cooked breakfast on the table in front of me and I realised just then how ravenous I was. I quickly devoured my breakfast until the plate was empty.

"Do you want me to order some more of _that_?" asked Edward from the chair beside me. I laughed inwardly at the way he described my food - 'that' - as if it was absolutely disgusting. Well, I suppose it was, for him. But to me it was absolutely delicious. He had been sitting there the whole time I was eating, staring at me. Carlisle was sitting in front of us at the table.

"No, thanks," I told him and Carlisle cleared his throat. We turned to look at him.

"Now, Bella, during the night Edward and I have talked over _things_," he stressed things. "I managed to track down your old doctor, Dr. Pattinson, and I have been looking up cases similar to yours. From what I've read and from my own experience of these things, we should put together some evidence first before going to the police so that Phil will be locked up sooner and questioned. The police are very slow, comparing them to us. So, I thought that today we should stop by Dr. Pattinson's office and ask him if he still has the evidence he collected for you in case you did decide to press charges against Phil. Is that ok?" I nodded. He had obviously put a lot of thought and research into this.

"Then we will go to your mother's house and try to persuade her to also go to the police regarding herself being beaten. If we succeed then we will go to the police together, and if she still won't admit it then we will go without her. We will tell the police anyways that we believe she is being beaten as well. She can do what she may with it though I hope for her sake that she will try and get some help from this monster."

"Sounds good," I said. I was slightly scared about everything today. What if the police didn't believe me like my own mother didn't? That was my worst fear. What if Phil was so mad that I had went to the police that he hurt my mother before the police could get to him. She didn't deserve a man like him. She deserved a lot better.

I didn't blame her for not believing me at first. He was her beloved husband and he always acted very nice around her. It was like there was two different Phils - Renée's Phil and Psycho Phil. Renée was so naïve and innocent to the workings of the world that I couldn't criticize her on her lack of judgement. She was in love and she just wanted to believe that her husband was perfect. She didn't want her life to be shattered again like it had when Emmett died.

Some people may think that I shouldn't have forgiven her so easy but she had been through a lot. I knew that Edward thought it was partially Renée's fault for letting such a man into her home and her heart. That she should have paid more attention to us. But she did. It was just Phil and I had hid it too well. She had thought that we had gotten really close which in a way we had. I had witnessed a part of him that he rarely showed anyone else. In a way we were closer from what he did to me. It was like I was a puppet and he was the puppet master. He controlled me in ways no one else did. He controlled me because I was so afraid of what he would do to me and those I love if I didn't obey him.

So the only person to blame was me for being such a pushover. If I had stood up to Phil - even though he might have killed me - then Emmett would still be alive and Renée wouldn't have been hurt either. If I hadn't been so stupid and went to Renée and told her the truth, then I would still be Phil's occasional punch bag, not mom. I would have been able to live with that, knowing that I was protecting the people I loved.

But then if I hadn't stood up to him and told Renée, would I have met Edward? I knew that we were soul mates, and that we were meant to be together. I knew that we had over gone obstacles that most, if not all, would deem impossible but would our love be able to find each other? We had conquered different cities, different times we lived in(he had lived in the 1900-10s whereas I was living in the 1990-2000s), different species, and different worlds in a way. Edward lived in the supernatural world where everything was possible whereas I lived in the naïve, unknowing human world where the closest (they thought) that you could get to a vampire or a werewolf was on Halloween's Night when kids dressed up to go trick-or-treating.

I knew now that I couldn't regret anything that had ever happened to me. All the pain Phil had inflicted upon me, all the anger, all the distress and depression I had gone through after Emmett died, **everything**. I couldn't regret it because it brought me to Edward. I realised that everything that had happened in my humble life comparing to Edward's and the rest of the Cullens' was leading me to meeting Edward. He was my life. My heart. My soul.

"Are you ready to go, Bella?" asked Edward putting his arm around my waist. I looked up to him and tenderly kissed his cheek. I knew that he would always be there for me.

"What was that for?" he asked, a crooked smile lighting up his face. His eyes were shining with love for me.

"Nothing," I told him. "I just wanted you to know how much I love you and how grateful I am."

He chuckled quietly and kissed my forehead.

"Let's go," called Carlisle, opening the door for us and walking on ahead to the car. He sounded happier than before.

We got into the car, Edward sitting beside me in the back seat letting Carlisle drive. I figured from the shocked look on Carlisle's face that Edward would usually either drive or drive shotgun.

The drive was quiet so Carlisle put on some of the music Edward had brought with him. I leant my head on Edward's shoulder.

When we arrived at the hospital, I could feel nostalgia kicking in. Bringing me back years when Emmett was alive and well, though I wasn't. Remembering, I knew, was pointless - nothing could come of it except pain and grief. I was sick of negative emotions. I just wanted to be truly happy. Truly content without having to worry about anything. I missed Emmett so much. Tears pricked my eyes but I hurriedly wiped them away. It would not do to have Edward witness me breaking down.

"Does he know I'm coming?" I asked as I stared up at the building. We were now standing outside it. It was quite quiet considering it was quite early but still busy. It was a hospital after all.

"They know that a Dr. Cullen is here to see him," Carlisle told me. "Do you know his room number?"

"Em… no, sorry. But I do know my way around the hospital well so if I have a room number then I will be able to find it," I said as we walked in and went up to a reception desk.

"Excuse me, I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen, I'm a visiting doctor and I've arranged an appointment with Dr. Pattinson. Could you tell me what room he is in?"

The secretary - an elderly woman who looked to be at least in her 60s - blushed and stumbled over her words. She was officially dazzled by the Cullen boys as well. "I… Um… Room 64 on the third fl-floor. If you want, I can show you the way?" she batted her eyelashes. From the corner of my eye I saw Edward wince. I guessed whatever the secretary was thinking, it wasn't PG-13 thoughts.

"No, my daughter here knows the way, thanks for asking," Carlisle said smoothly and tactfully. I blushed with pride when he called me his daughter. I had never thought that Carlisle thought so well of me.

We walked away from the reception and got into a crowded lift. I made sure to stand next to Edward, a subtle message to the all the women that he was taken and all the women in the lift turned and glared at me.

"Bella?" a disbelieving voice called when we got out on the third floor. I turned around to find Nikki, a nurse I had befriended on my many visits to the hospital. She was Dr. Pattinson's wife and also knew about Phil.

"Nikki!" I exclaimed happily and hugged her tightly. "I haven't saw you in ages! How are you?"

"I'm great, little Bella said her first word yesterday," she said proudly. I beamed happily thinking about their cute baby that they had named after me as well as asking me to be the godmother.

"Oh, I have to see her while I'm here," I told her.

"Oh yes, how's life in Forks?" she asked me sympathetically. "How's the Phil situation?" she asked quieter looking around her to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "And what happened to your arm?" she indicated to the cast on my arm.

"Forks is better than expected," I said, throwing a meaningful look at Edward and Carlisle. "I broke it in PE back in Forks. My klutziness made an appearance! And that is why I'm here actually. I'm here to talk to Robert about going to the police about Phil."

"You are?" she asked delightedly. "Thank God. Now I can rest easy in my bed knowing that you will be truly safe when he is locked up. I hope they throw away the key! But how did this come about? The last time I saw you, you were quite adamant about just forgetting about it and just avoiding the problem?"

"That reminds me, I want you to meet someone," I pulled her sleeve and dragged her to where Carlisle and Edward were waiting patiently for me. When Edward saw me dragging Nikki over to him, he straightened up. "Nikki, this is my amazing boyfriend, Edward Cullen, and his father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen," I introduced them. "Carlisle, Edward, this is my dear friend, Nicole Pattinson. She's Dr. Pattinson's wife." She looked at me, surprised that I had opened my heart to someone. I had always swore that I would never go out with any man ever. I had told her many times before how I wouldn't be able to sacrifice my independence over to a man who could abuse it. I don't think I could take someone abusing my trust again and I didn't want to be hurt either emotionally or physically by a man ever again. To be honest I had been terrified.

But it all changed when Edward came into my life. He was the one man I knew I could trust. He was an angel after all.

"Hello Mrs. Pattinson," said Edward courteously. "How do you do?"

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," greeted Carlisle, offering a hand to her so she could shake it.

Nikki grasped Carlisle's hand warmly. "Dr. Cullen, the pleasure is all mine." She turned to Edward. "And Edward, you should be given a standing ovation! How on earth did you get Bella to open up enough to go out with you? She has always insisted that she would never go out with anyone! And not only that but how did you get her to pursue charges against her stepfather?! We have been trying to persuade her for over a year and she has only been living in Forks about a month and now you can't wait to have him behind bars?!"

Edward chuckled. "I have my ways," he smiled crookedly and turned towards me and took my hand. Our eyes met and in an instant Nikki and Carlisle, and everything else was forgotten. Everything except Edward's enchanting eyes. We continued to stare into each others' eyes until we heard two throats clearing.

I flushed and turned towards our audience. They were smiling at each other and laughing.

"The joys of young love," Nikki teased. "You were completely lost in each other!"

I laughed. "Hey, don't give me that. You were as bad when you and Robert first got together!"

She giggled. "I suppose you're right but I don't believe we were as bad as you!"

"Is that you, Bella?" asked Dr. Pattinson who had just walked out of his office. We turned to look at him. "It is!" He swept me up in a friendly hug. "We have all missed you here at the hospital. There is no one as klutz-y as you coming in, nor anyone as entertaining!"

I glared at him jokingly. "Hey!" I laughed. "I hope you meant that as a compliment because if I say so myself I am quite amusing when I'm on drugs!" Nikki, Robert and I all laughed at the memory of the time I had been given strong painkillers after one of my bouts in hospital and how I had been very embarrassing when I was high. I introduced Rob to Carlisle and Edward when our laughter died down.

"Rob, Bella's here because her young man, Edward, has convinced her to go to the police about Phil. Isn't that amazing?" Nikki asked him.

"Seriously?! What is your secret, Edward?"

"I admit she was very reluctant at first but Carlisle and I managed to persuade her in the end."

"Come into my office so we can talk in private," he gestured towards his office and we followed him. He went to a filing cabinet and took a key out of his pocket. Once he opened it he rifled through a bunch of files until he found the right one.

"Aha, here it is!" he said and took out a file and put it on his desk. "This," he said mainly to Carlisle and Edward. "Is where I stored all the evidence and medical reports in the case that Bella decided to go to the police. I'll admit that I've been hoping and praying that she would reconsider her decision and get Phil thrown in jail." He opened the file. "I have medical reports filled out by myself and another doctor, images of parts of Bella after she was beaten… Her former doctor wasn't very smart. When they gave me the position I found pictures he had taken before he had been caught so I have quite a lot of imagery evidence here. Also I have CCTV footage of Phil and Bella entering and exiting the hospital, Phil looking distinctively angry and rough-handing Bella. It looks to me like he was half dragging her by the hair. I have a video confession from Bella about the beatings and also the former doctor and Phil were friends, I imagine, as I have also a video conversation when they were drunk and talking - boasting, really - about being able to get away with hurting Bella. In conclusion, I don't think there is anyway Phil could make this look any less than it is.

"In my opinion I think it's going to be a rather easy case and trial as all the evidence is stacked up against him," he told us seriously. "I don't even think the best lawyer in Phoenix could help him now!"

Carlisle nodded straight-faced. "Yes, you are right. He would need a miracle to get out of this mess. And if we can persuade Renée to prosecute as well, he'll be looking at more time as well."

"Renée? Bella's mother? Did he get to her too?" asked Nikki concernedly.

"Yeah, with me gone he didn't have his favourite punch bag. So he turned to Renée," I told her solemnly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Bella. Is she alright?" she cried.

"Yeah, she will be. She has to take it easy but she's fine, at least physically."

"What do you mean? She's not still living with him, is she?" she gasped.

"Well, she's refusing to admit that Phil was the one who done this to her. She's telling everyone that she was mugged. But I know it was Phil. She sent me an email telling me she was sorry for not believing me. I think Phil has bullied her into not admitting it to me. She's scared, Nikki, and that's one of the reasons I'm prosecuting. I want my mom to be safe and this is the only way."

"Is she badly hurt?" asked Dr. Pattinson.

"Well, I think she's hurt more emotionally than anything else. He broke a few of her ribs and one of her legs, and she has severe bruising but her bruises aren't so bad now."

"Well at least now she knows the truth. I'm very sorry that she's hurt but I can't help but be slightly relieved that she now knows her husband's true nature," Nikki told me.

"Me too," I agreed.

"So, what are you doing after this? Are you going straight to the police or what?" questioned Dr. Pattinson.

"We're going to go by Bella's mother's house first to see if she would be willing to testify and after on to the police. I trust that you will be willing to make a statement…?" Carlisle informed them.

"Oh, most definitely," Nikki nodded fervently for the both of them. "Rob will do anything he can to make sure that monster is put where he belongs, behind bars, right sweetie?"

Dr. Pattinson nodded.

"Well, we better get going, we have a lot to do and one of my daughters and Bella's father is arriving in Phoenix this afternoon so we plan to be there to meet them at the airport," Carlisle stood up.

"Bella, phone me when you have a spare moment so we can catch up," Nikki called. "Or, if you're not too busy while you're here pop in at our place and you can see Bella junior again!"

"I promise I will," I hugged her again and then moved on to Robert.

"Thanks, Rob, for everything," I said sincerely.

"No problem, Bells."

"Bye," I called as we walked out of the office and then out of the hospital.

"Next stop - Renée's house," said Edward.

"Great," I groaned. I knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

* * *

**Hope I am forgiven. Hopefully I will be back on to a schedule soon where I hope to update every other week at the very least. **

**So what do you think of this chapter? Boring? Interesting? Does this long chapter (and tomorrow's chapter - also very long btw) help me be forgiven? Did you like the Rob Pattinson shut out there? What do you think will happen now? **

**Also the poems and the stories on the internet are all real. I found them when I was researching some physicial abuse. I thought they were really good and effective that I had to put them up. It's so sad that real people go through this everyday - and worse off than Bella is in this story.**

**Love,  
Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo XD ('cause he does! ;))  
xXx**


	12. Missing You

**Disclaimer :- I do not own Twilight. :(**

**Long chapter again to make up for my silence. :) **

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Renée's POV**

"Renée, where the hell are yyoou?" called - or rather slurred - Phil.

My hands started to shake. He was back. From the pub, no doubt.

"I-I'm in here," I called back, trying to sound brave and light-hearted but failing miserably.

He stumbled into the living room where I had been looking at pictures. I quickly hid the pictures of Bella, Emmett and I. I didn't want to make Phil angry.

"Baby, come up to bed," he licked his lips trying to be seductive. It wasn't working.

"I… um … am watching this program on TV," I fumbled for an excuse quickly turning towards the TV. The thought of acting all couple-like with him; it repulsed me. I didn't want to share his bed but I also didn't want to make him angry. "I'll be up when it's finished." I sighed inwardly with relief and prayed silently that Phil would be asleep by the time I got up.

He was squinting at the TV. "But yyoou dunt watch Doctor Who," he slurred. His tone quickly turned to anger as an idea dawned on him. "Are yyoou trying to avoid me? Is that it?"

"No!" I denied frantically.

"Yesss, yyoou are!" he exclaimed. "Well, I'm gonna teach yyoou a lesson. I don't like it when my wife doesn't please me." He lunged across the room and grabbed my hair. I screamed as he dragged me by the hair off the couch and across the floor. He let go of me briefly to kick me in the stomach before dragging me to the bedroom. I moaned anticipating the pain.

Oh God. I wish I had believed Bella when I had the chance. I wish that I wasn't so scared of Phil. I wish I could just stand up to him.

I wish that I could tell someone.

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

**BPOV**

We pulled up in front of Renée's - and my former - house. I looked out of the window briefly before climbing out of the car.

I didn't see Phil's car. A good sign. When I had seen Renée on Friday, our conversation had been uncomfortable, tense. She had mentioned then that Phil had gotten a new job. He was probably out working then.

_Flashback (Friday)_

_I waved at Edward as he drove away to complete Alice's errands. When he was gone I knocked on the door and rang the doorbell. _

_I waited nervously tapping my foot up and down. I took a deep breath as I saw movement behind the door. I had made sure that Phil had been out at the time of my visit so at least I didn't have to worry about that._

"_Bella?" asked Renée in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I came to see you," I said simply._

"_Oh," she said. I noticed she was nervous as well. "Umm… would you like to come in?" she opened the door wider. As I walked in, she gave me a tentative hug._

_We walked into the sitting room (well, she limped) and I sat down on the couch whereas she sat down on the seat opposite me. "So… uh… How are you?"_

"_I'm good," she said. "And you?"_

"_I'm good as well. I heard about the mugging," I raised my eyebrows at her. "How is your leg?" I gestured to her cast leg. _

"_Oh, it's fine. The doctor said it was a clean break which is good. What happened to your arm?" she looked pointedly at my cast arm._

"_Gym. Need I say more?"_

_Renée laughed quietly. "I should have guessed. You were always so klutzy. So how is Forks? Is Charlie OK? Are you making friends?"_

"_Yeah, Forks is fine. Charlie is good, he said to tell you to get well soon. I have made a few friends." There was an awkward pause. "Um…" I tried to think of something I could tell her. Something that could break the ice. "There's this one family that I'm particularly friendly with. Actually, they're the ones I made this trip with."_

"_Oh, so I take it they are nice?"_

"_Yes, very nice," we fell silent._

"_So this family, are they anyone I would know? The Newtons? The Blacks?"_

"_Nope, you probably don't know them. They just moved to Forks a few years ago. Dr. Carlisle Cullen is the father and Esme is his wife and they adopted 5 children - well, they're not really children any more. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie are Seniors and Alice and Edward are Juniors at Forks High. Alice is my best friend and Edward… well, he's my boyfriend," I told her uneasily. I didn't know what to label my relationship with Edward. He was definitely more than a friend, and 'boyfriend' even sounded too … small. Too fickle. But then again you don't go around introducing people to as the love of their life or their soul mate or something like that. So I just stuck with boyfriend._

"_Boyfriend?" her face lit up. "What's he like?" she asked enthusiastically. I knew that Renée had always wished that I had boyfriends, had been more popular, when we were living in Phoenix. She didn't understand that no boy had caught my eye - or rather I had caught no one's eye. Even if I had, I wouldn't have accepted them unless I really liked him. There was only one man who I would ever go out with and that was Edward._

"_He's amazing," I told her simply. I didn't know how to describe him. He was perfection._

"_Good looking?" she waggled her eyebrows._

_I laughed. "Oh definitely, that's the understatement of the century."_

"_Is he a jock?"_

_I considered the question. He was definitely not a jock but then again what category would Edward fit into in your average high school? He would no doubt be popular but would he would be the type of popular everyone loves to hate? Definitely not. He was the guy every girl in the school dreamed about dating. In real life, he was an outcast, an outsider. No doubt about that. But if he hadn't distanced himself from the frivolous high school life, he would be A-List Celebrity on the scale of popularity. "No, he's not a jock. He doesn't really socialize a lot. Of course all the girls drool all over him but he never seems to notice."_

_I realized then that this was the first time we were talking at ease with each other ever since I had arrived. We were retreating back into the friendship we had back when I was 13 before Phil arrived in our lives. There was no secrets between us. Well, maybe a few but none that weighed on our minds all the time. Like the Phil secret._

_She laughed. "You seem very happy with Edward." A shadow fell across her face. "I'm glad that you have moved on from here and are happy now. I know Emmett's death weighed heavily on you and… the Phil situation."_

"_How is Phil?" I asked politely and stiffly._

"_He's … fine. He just got a new job so he won't be home as much anymore," she looked relieved._

"_Speaking of Phil, are you going to tell the police about how you made up the mugging story and how Phil was the person who did this to you?" I leaned forward and took her hand in mine._

_She abruptly took her hand away. "What are you talking about?" she laughed nervously. "Are you still going on about Phil hurting you? It's getting old, Bella. Phil loves me, he would never hurt me! I'm serious, Bella. Never repeat this again," she looked terrified and I could tell she was lying when she told me Phil had never hurt her. I knew Renée too well and I knew when she was lying and when she was saying the truth. It was obvious that Phil had gotten to her and she was pretending that because she was afraid._

"_But what about the email you sent me? You admitted it, Renée. Why can't you just go to the police, protect yourself? I'm terrified for you. I managed to get away before it was too late but I'm not so sure you will if you keep on going on like this!"_

"_Bella, please, please, __**please **__stop it. I was mugged, for the last time! Phil had no hand in it. I never told you anything of the sort. Why would I go to the police about something that isn't true?"_

"_Please, mom," I begged her. "Please, I just want you to be safe. Leave him, at the very least. You could stay at Charlie's until you can get a place of your own. He wouldn't mind. If not for your sake, then for mine. It's driving me crazy knowing that you are living with a madman."_

"_I'm sorry, Bella. I just can't do that," she told me with tears in her eyes._

_End Flashback_

I shook my head of my thoughts and rang the doorbell. I felt a sense of déjà vu as Renée opened the door just like she had on Friday and the same surprised look appeared on her face to see me. I knew she knew that I was upset that she wouldn't just leave Phil. She thought that I thought she was crazy, a coward. But that wasn't true. I could see why Renée's reasoning. I didn't think she was being weak or spineless in anyway. She was rightly scared and she was just doing what she could to protect the remainder of her family and herself. She understood the danger of leaving Phil -- as did I -- and she didn't want to incur his wrath. Renée was all that I had left excepting Charlie and now the Cullens and she didn't want to hurt me anymore than had already been done. She had witnessed what I was like after Emmett's death and she didn't want a repeat of that.

"Bella, what are you doing here?" she hugged me.

"Well… I had something to talk to you about," I told her and looked at Edward and Carlisle who gave me reassuringly looks.

"Oh hello," Renée said, noticing Edward and Carlisle behind me for the first time. "And you are?"

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen and this is my son, Edward," Carlisle introduced himself. "We're friends of Bella."

"Oh, yes I heard about you," she said. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you. This would probably be better inside anyways," Carlisle agreed amiably and followed Renée into the sitting room.

Edward whispered in my ear, "It's going to be alright. You're going to be fine." before sitting down beside Carlisle. I sat down beside Renée and cleared my throat.

I noticed that she had been moving very stiffly when we were walking and had positioned herself on a very peculiar angle sitting down, which was no doubt uncomfortable for her. I put the clues together and I knew in my heart that Phil must have got to her last night.

"Are you okay?" I asked concernedly when Renée winced. I could tell that neither Carlisle nor Edward had missed it either and were exchanging worried looks.

"Yes, I'm fine," she smiled thinly. I could tell she was in pain.

I looked helplessly at Edward. How was I supposed to breach the subject of Phil? How would I get Renée to admit to Phil beating her with Carlisle and Edward there? I couldn't even get a proper confession out of her on Friday when we were on our own completely and no one would have overheard us, and here I was trying to get it out of her with two strangers as well, one of them a doctor who would no doubt try to look over her to make sure there was no serious or lasting injuries. However I wasn't sure I would have enough courage to tell her that I was going to the police if they weren't here.

Edward nodded encouragingly at me. I shook my head slightly to say to give me a second to collect myself.

"So, Dr. Cullen, you are very young to adopt five teenagers." Renée said. "I wonder how you can do it. I could hardly cope with two!"

Carlisle chuckled. "It can be hard sometimes but my wife and I have always wanted a big family. I'm very proud of my children just like you are very proud of Bella. She has been through a lot." At Renée's startled look, he quickly added. "With her brother's death and having to move to a new town not knowing anyone I mean."

Edward took my hand and squeezed it.

"Do you want us to go for a while so you can talk to her?" he mouthed.

I shook my head frantically.

"Mom," I started nervously. Renée had been talking to Carlisle about how I had been when I was younger but turned towards me.

"Yes, Bella?"

"I… um, I told Carlisle and Edward about Phil," I told her, my voice gaining confidence as I continued. "I'm going to the police and I want you to testify as well."

Renée's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before finally getting over the shock enough to speak. "You can't go to the police," she stated.

"Why not?" Edward and Carlisle were all but forgotten.

"Bella, do you have any idea what he will do to us if we do!" she exclaimed, standing up. I realized that this was the first time Renée had admitted about Phil being guilty, in so many words. She was sick of pretending that life was fine, that she loved her husband. "Do you really want the same thing that happened to Emmett happen to you?"

"Of course I know what he is capable of!" I said hotly, getting angrier at the second. "I had to endure it for years and when I finally told you about it, you didn't believe me! He nearly **killed **me, Renée! How the hell am I supposed to just forgive and forget that!?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, OK?" she said, close to tears. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, I just thought you were acting out because of Emmett's death! You and Phil had seemed so close before Emmett died! He always went to talk to you, always drove you to the hospital and was always so interested in your school life!"

"Did you ever even stop to think that maybe the reason Phil was always going up to my room because he wanted to beat me! The reason why he always asked about my social life was because he wanted to make sure I didn't tell anyone about him!"

"No, I didn't," she confessed. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I know you will never be able to forgive me for not believing you but please try to understand!" She rubbed her eyes trying to wipe away her tearful eyes.

That was what brought me back to earth. I had been shouting at Renée when it wasn't her fault. She was sorry and I can't say I blamed her for not blaming me but because of the stress and the frustration I was feeling because she wouldn't go to the police, my anger had got the better of me and I had said words I didn't mean.

"I'm sorry, mom," I said and wrapped my arms around her in a hug, my anger disappearing. "I forgave you long ago, and I do understand why you believed him over me. He was, and still is, your husband and you loved him. He always gave the appearance of a family man and he always tried to make sure you didn't see him when he was angry. I was just a teenage girl who had been known to be depressed, her brother had died and I had told you out of the blue claiming it had been happening for years. Of course you would believe him, I would if I was in your position," I tried to sooth her.

She sniffled pathetically and we continued to hug each other for a few moments. Renée was just so naïve, so childish at times that I felt cold, hard hatred for the man that had ruined her innocence. She always liked to look on the optimistic side of life and she got really upset and emotional when she watched the news or when she read about a murder or something like that in the newspaper. Which was why we wouldn't let her watch it when we were younger. By we, I mean Emmett and I, of course.

"Please, Renée. We have to stop him," I whispered in her ear. "If not for your sake or mine, do it for little Bridget," I said referring to the little girl who had been dominating the news recently. She was a little 7 year old girl who had been beaten, sexually assaulted and starved by her dad. When it was discovered, her dad had broken out of custody with the help of his thug friends and kidnapped Bridget. She had been missing a month and the police had given up looking for the little girl. They were now looking for her _body_. The father had still not been caught either and the story had spread to Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. I had left for Forks just when the dad had first kidnapped the girl and even before when the truth was just uncovered of the beatings, Renée had been so concerned for the poor girl.

"Bridget's story is tragic but I'm not doing it for her. I'm doing it for you so you don't have to worry anymore about Phil. I want him out of our lives for good."

I smiled and hugged her tighter. After a few more seconds I walked over to Edward and Carlisle and grasped Edward's hand.

"Can you come with us now?" I asked her. "We want to get this out of the way as soon as possible."

"This will take weeks, if not months, to get this all cleared up," Carlisle told me.

"I know, but after today it won't be so hard."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked me.

"Well, once I've told them the truth, I can't change my mind. If I told them I lied, it wouldn't change anything. If they drop the case, they will most likely continue to have him on their radar."

"I don't know. I told Phil I wasn't going out today and if he comes home early, he'll be angry. He'll think that I've been meeting other men," Renée confided, looking uncertain.

"Come with us, it will only take a couple of hours and if it takes any longer, tell him that you had to do an errand or go grocery shopping or something like that. He can't argue with that. I mean, you do have a life outside this house!"

"Not to Phil I don't. He's become so suspicious recently and if I so much as glance at another man, he accuses me of being attracted to him, fantasizing about different men."

I felt so sorry for Renée. I could see how scared she was of him. "Please come," I asked her again.

"OK, fine! But only because you're my sunshine," Renée smiled, using the nickname she called me back when I was a little girl.

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

Renée came with us in Carlisle's car and soon we were pulling up to the front of the local police station and parked in the car park near it. When we walked in, Carlisle went up to the secretary's desk and we sat down outside in the foyer to wait for him with Edward. Ever since we had got out of the car, I had been gripping Edward's hand in mine and keeping him very close.

Renée and me both were very jumpy and kept on turning around to make sure no one was looking at or following us. We didn't want Phil to know what we had done until he had been brought into questioning.

Carlisle emerged a few minutes later, and he showed us into a more nicer furnished waiting room. The secretary came up to us and gave us a sheet which we were supposed to fill in. Mostly it was personal details like full name, date of birth, current address… stuff like that but there were other questions concerning why we were here in the police station.

About a hour later a man walked up to us in a suit. He looked very ordinary; nothing stood out about him. The perfect look for a police officer. He had short brown hair with a few gray hairs and blue eyes. He looked like he was in his 40s.

"Hello, my name is Detective George Banner. Would you like to follow me?" he told Renée and me. Carlisle and Edward stayed behind as they weren't actually going to be interviewed and had no connection with the crimes we were here to report other than that they were close to me. As I was still a minor and had been during the abuse, an approachable, smart looking lady showed me into a room and Renée went on with Detective Banner.

Her name was Detective Susan Gardiner and she specialized in cases to do with child abuse. She had long blond hair and a peculiar color of eyes. They were gray with tints of green and blue in them. She was very pretty.

She looked at the sheet I had filled out. "So, Isabella, you are here to report your stepfather?"

"It's Bella," I told her. "And yes, I've come here to make sure Phil doesn't hurt anyone else like he hurt my mom and me."

"OK, Bella, is it ok if I video record this interview?" she asked me kindly, gesturing to an inconspicuous video camera in the corner. I nodded and she turned it on and made sure that the video was focused on me. I looked down at my hands, feeling uncomfortable.

_Should I really be doing this? _I asked myself. _Should I have not gone to the police? _Maybe it didn't have to go this far. Maybe I could have just persuaded Renée to leave Phil and that would be that. We wouldn't have to go through this trial then. We wouldn't have to have our personal lives analyzed, all my relationships and different friendships.

"We'll start with an easy question, Bella," she told me. "How old are you now?" she asked even though she could have just worked it out from the sheet in front of her.

"Sixteen."

"And your date of birth?"

"February 18th, 1992." **(I know her birthday is really 13****th**** of September, I needed to change it though)**

"When did the abuse start?"

"When I was 13 years old," I took a deep breath. She gestured me to go on. "About 4 months after my mom and Phil got married."

"Phil was the man who abused you, wasn't he?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"What did Phil do to you?"

"He beat me and he threatened me. He called me names, stuff like that." I said not looking at her.

"Did he-" she hesitated. "Did he hurt you in other ways too? Did he - for example - touch you in places which people don't usually? Inappropriate places?"

"What do yo-" I gasped. "No, of course not," I said quickly and blushed furiously. "He hated me; he wasn't attracted to me. He's not **that **sick!" I explained. "The whole reason this happened was because he thought I ruined Renée's life. I was the reason why Renée couldn't have any more kids and he was angry. He had always wanted a big family - a family of his own. His own, biological children. In his eyes, I had purposely set out to hurt him, that I had decided that when I was born, I would make sure it was a difficult birth and purposely went out to make sure she could have no more children by the end of it! He was crazy in that way."

"And when did it end?"

"After my brother died last year. Emmett had found out about what Phil had been doing to me the day he died. Emmett had walked in on us when Phil was in the middle of beating me," I retold the story, leaving nothing out. "The only reason I hadn't told anyone before was because Phil used to threaten me - he used to say if I told anyone he would kill not just me, but Emmett too. When Emmett died, I had nothing to hold me back from going to the police. We made a deal - he would stop beating me and I wouldn't go to the police."

"How did Emmett die?" she leaned forward in her chair.

"After he found out and I had fallen asleep, he had went out for a drive to 'clear his head'. There was an accident and his car fell over a cliff, him in it. He didn't survive."

"It was an accident?" she said doubtfully. "Were Emmett and Phil close?"

"Yes, on both accounts. Emmett looked up to Phil and they got on together well. He was like a big brother to Emmett and he thought Phil was cool - cooler than most dads or step dads," I paused, trying to figure out her tone when she asked me if Emmett's death was an accident. "Of course it was an accident," I finally said and stared at her. "What are you trying to suggest?"

"Nothing, it just seems strange - a very big coincidence. He finds out that you've been beaten for years by a man he had looked up to, trusted, and that he had just stood there and done nothing over those years-"

"He didn't know," I interrupted her. "He couldn't do nothing if he didn't know there was something!"

"I know that," she said calmly. "I'm just trying to get into Emmett's mind here. I studied psychology in university before deciding to become part of the police. He must have been feeling awfully guilty that day, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," I said grudgingly. "He was that kind of person. When someone close to him was hurt or something like that, he used to blame himself. It was like a warrior defending his kingdom and when one of the enemies broke through his defenses. He took his responsibilities really seriously."

"So it wouldn't be very surprising then that he would be beating himself up about it, would it? He's probably also feeling guilty and confused why you didn't tell him. Why he had to find out about it himself instead of you confiding him. He would probably think that you didn't trust him," she mused. "That day, when he was passing the cliff he may have even been thinking about death…"

"Stop it!" I cried and tears spilled over. I couldn't hear anything more about how I had caused Emmett misery on the day of his death.

Detective Gardiner seemed surprised by my sudden burst into tears and quickly rifled through her bag for a bag of tissues. She retrieved it and offered them to me. I accepted them and dabbed my eyes, my shoulders shaking with the effort to try and stop my sobs.

"It's OK," she said comfortingly. "Do you want to take a break?"

"No, it's fine," I sniffled and blew my nose.

Despite my protests, she stopped the video camera rolling and got me a drink of hot chocolate and a chocolate bar because 'everyone feels better after chocolate,' so she says. Five minutes later, the tears had completely stopped and I was feeling a little better but I still felt fragile, like at the slightest provocation I would burst into tears again. She turned back on the video camera and said, "Now where were we?"

"Emmett wouldn't have committed suicide," I told her adamantly.

"I never said he did," she blinked at me. "Why are you so sure he didn't though?"

"Because he left me a note before he left. He said he would be back soon. He would never leave me alone with **him**, and when I needed him most," I knew I was starting to go into hysterics even thinking about it.

"You have to remember though, from what you told me, Emmett had kicked Phil out of the house. He honestly thought that Phil would run for his life so as not to spend the rest of his life in prison - or at least the majority. In a lot of suicide cases, people who have just been through traumatic events don't even know consciously they're going to commit suicide until the ideal way comes up. Maybe subconsciously they've known since the minute they left the house but it was only when he came to the cliff did Emmett realize how he could stop the guilt."

"Emmett wouldn't do it!" I chanted.

"Bella, calm down, it's OK. It's just a possibility but we'll never know whether he did or not. At least I don't see us finding proof unless he hid a suicide note somewhere or something like that..." she trailed off.

"Moving on, you moved to Forks about a month ago. What was your main reason for moving away so far? Was it for safety reasons? Did you want to avoid Phil?"

"Yeah, both of them but really what it all comes down to I wasn't happy where I was so I moved to Forks where I could find a chance of happiness and wouldn't have to go through everyday as 'The Girl Who Had A Hot Brother But He Died'. Not only that but I was tired of feeling scared in my own home. Home is supposed to be a sanctuary, you know?"

"Were you not concerned about leaving your mother in the clutches of a man who had beaten you many times before and was maybe indirectly the cause of your brother's death?" She wasn't accusing me, she was just trying to get a grasp of the background of what had happened.

"Of course I was," I said. "But Phil loved my mom, there was no question about that. I had just assumed that she wasn't really in danger - that his love for Renée would triumph over his violent tendencies. Even now I think he still loves her, in his own twisted way. That's why I think it was so hard for Renée to accept what had happened and why it took so long to persuade her to prosecute. He genuinely loved her and to Renée this wasn't _Phil_. This was a monster in the image of the man she loved. I suppose it is my fault for leaving her here when there was even the slightest chance that she might be hurt but I had tried my best to make her believe me and it hadn't worked."

"Bella, you have to stop blaming yourself for everything that has happened to you," she placed her hand over mine. "It wasn't your fault and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it."

She continued to ask me questions to do with Phil's abuse and she went through all the evidence Dr. Pattinson had given me earlier that day.

After about a hour, she was nearly finished. "We have a strong case, Bella. I may use your interview today as part of visual evidence in court. I will try and ask all the questions I need from you before you leave to go home but it would be advisable for you to be there at the trial. It would be better if you were a witness but if it is too upsetting for you, there are alternatives.

"I would like you to see a friend of mine - a very good psychologist - who could help you work through some issues. It is obvious that you still don't have closure from your brother's death and is still not over it. I would also be best because no doubt the months coming up to the trial will be hard for you and will be very stressful so it would be a good idea to have a safe place where you could work out your feelings and speak freely. I assume Renée is going to leave Phil; does she have a place to stay? I only say this because there are hostels for people going through similar experiences. She would be safe there and there would be no way Phil would be able to find her.

"As we have not investigated into Phil yet, we do not know if he has any contacts with well known criminals and they may be persuaded to try and kill the witnesses. This is unlikely but be prepared to be put into the Witness Protection Program. It probably won't come to that but I just wanted to prepare you." I nodded mutely.

"So that's it," she smiled warmly at me. "I look forward to seeing you again and we will be arresting Phil later on today to question him and we will probably charge him after we have spoken to the contacts you gave us."

"Thanks," I told her and I walked back to Edward.

When he saw me, he got up from his chair and smiled warmly at me, his amazing crooked smile lighting up his whole face. He gently caressed one of my cheeks and whispered to me, "I missed you."

Carlisle was now talking to Detective Gardiner and I learned from Edward that Renée would also be coming out of her interview soon, in about 2 minutes. They were just wrapping up the interview from what he heard from Detective Banner's thoughts.

Edward made me sit down and he gave me a drink of cold water. I thanked him mutely and drank the whole cup in the one go.

That was when Renée appeared, she smiled warmly at Edward and me when she saw us, obviously enjoying seeing her daughter with her boyfriend, a sight that she sometimes doubted she would ever see.

"How are you?" Edward asked me worriedly. "I know this must be hard for you but soon it will be better. He will be out of your life forever - we just have to go through the trial."

"I'm OK," I shrugged it off. "I thought it would be harder but it actually feels a bit of relief. I just want this all to be over, I want to start over again."

Carlisle, Renée and the detectives had been talking among themselves as Edward and I were talking. They finished up and walked over and I asked what was going to happen now.

"We have enough proof to arrest Phil and question him, we need to know his side of the story first before we officially charge him but I don't think he can duck out of this," explained Detective Banner. "The evidence is locked vault tight. Sergeant Ramsay and a couple of PCs are already on their way to the address of his new work where they are going to arrest him there. Myself and Detective Gardiner will be accompanying Mrs. Dyherhome where she will pack some of her belongings, her medication and vacate the premises. We will also take the opportunity to look around to see if there is any more incriminating evidence around."

"Renée will then stay with us in the hotel for a couple of days," Carlisle continued. "I have already reserved another two suites in the hotel, for Charlie and Renée." I noticed Renée looked a little disgruntled by this. "Now I see where you get your reluctance to accept gifts from," he smiled.

I snorted. "Renée doesn't like 'charity' but she's nothing compared to Charlie. He's even more independent!"

We decided that Renée would ride with the detectives to make sure they didn't get lost and Carlisle, Edward and I would take Carlisle's car back. Originally I was going to be riding with the detectives as well in the plain police car but I didn't wanted to separate from Edward, again. I had hardly talked to him all day it seemed; we had been going everywhere today.

The detectives - and another man I didn't know who I later found out to be another Sergeant - were in normal clothes in case Phil was having the house watched by his cronies - OK, it really wasn't likely, more like a one in a million chance - that the house was being watched but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The Detectives and the Sergeant made a beeline to my room to look for anything they thought might help them with the case. They asked my permission if it was OK if they rifled through my personal belongings but I could tell it wasn't much of a question, more like a statement.

I helped Renée pack her favorite clothes but she kept on trying to push her luck and didn't understand the concept of just a few outfits, one suitcase. I told her again and again that once she had decided what she was going to do, where she was going to live, she could come back and pack the rest of her clothes but she still didn't understand.

By this time it was way on in the afternoon. Nearly four. While Renée and I were finishing up packing the police were finishing looking around the house, Carlisle and Edward left to pick up Alice and Charlie.

I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to seeing Charlie or dreading it. On the one hand, I had missed him and he was refreshing, the one person who wouldn't ask me all these probing, personal questions. If you wanted to talk about your feelings, Charlie was definitely not the guy to go to. Which was what I wanted. I was emotionally drained from all the questions and it would be a change to be asked puddle deep questions. On the other hand, although I hadn't been untruthful when I told Charlie about Phil, I hadn't exactly told him everything. He would find out the worst parts - the parts I wanted to shield from him - and Charlie had a **gun**. I was seriously scared for Phil. No joke.

Although Charlie doesn't like talking about his feelings, that doesn't mean he doesn't have deep feelings. If that even makes sense. And I worried about that. He didn't really confide in anyone as far as I knew, so if he did take it upon himself to get revenge we wouldn't have any warning. I knew when Charlie had set his mind on something, he wouldn't stop trying until it was completed. He was stubborn, a trait I had inherited from him.

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

**Phil's POV**

My job wasn't good and the pay was crap but it was a job nonetheless. I was lucky enough to get this with my CV. I didn't exactly have the most impressive resume in the world.

I was just talking to my friend on the phone inviting me along to the pub with him after work. We did it nearly everyday so it wasn't a big surprise. To tell you the truth I had already had a little to drink. But no one would guess. I was always good at holding my liquor. It was only when I was completely wasted that I had to worry about doing something I would later regret.

I took a quick, stealthy swig of my flask and a costumer came up to me to ask about a piece that they were interested in **(He works as a guy who helps makes sales in a big store)**. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes and showed them the tag on the office chair that they were looking at where it clearly told them the information they were looking for. I tried to hide my annoyance that some people couldn't even read tags but I mustn't have been 100% successful as he gave me a dirty look as he decided on whether to buy it or not.

_This was going to be a long day._

I decided to think of what I would do when I got home, after I had a couple of drinks at the pub of course. I needed to say sorry to Renée for last night but it was her fault. She had looked at that man the other day when we were out. I could tell she thought he was attractive and that annoyed me. I bet that was the reason she pretended she was watching that stupid Doc-

Hell, what was the name of that TV show?

I asked the other sales' assistant but she just gave me a weird look. "Are you OK?" she asked me. "You're kind of slurring your words. And I think you are talking about Doctor Who," she continued on in a bored tone.

Oh, yes that was it. The Who of the Doctor world. The Doctor of Who-ness. Doctor who had no name except Doctor Who. The Doctor that's name fitted in the middle of a knock-knock joke.

_Knock, knock_

_Who's there?_

_Doctor_

_Doctor Who?_

I sang to myself under my breath. Apparently I had been louder than I thought because Michelle or Rachel or whatever her name was gave me an even stranger look.

"Are you Mr. Dwyer?" asked a few men in police uniforms.

I nodded. Big mistake. Before I knew it they had put handcuffs on me and carted me out of there…

**E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.E.A.M.C.**

**BPOV**

When we had finished with Renée's packing, the Detectives dropped us off at our hotel. Carlisle and Edward hadn't arrived back yet with Charlie and Alice so Renée took that opportunity to settle in while I looked through my diary that I had kept religiously when I was younger that Detective Gardiner had given to me privately. She had found it when she was looking through my belongings and thought it 'was important for my healing process'. Whatever that meant.

I looked through it anyways. This diary was massive - about 600 pages in it. It had been originally 2 or 3 separate notebooks but I joined them together so it was only the one book. I had started writing in it on my thirteenth birthday and I had written quite regularly in it. Even in the middle of the whole Phil situation I had found time to write about how I felt in my diary. The entries seemed to come far few and far between by the time I got to 15 and after Emmett died, practically nonexistent except from a few entries here and there.

There was a note saying that she had photocopied some of the entries as evidence. She wanted to make sure I knew about that because it was private.

I flicked through it while I was waiting for Edward and Carlisle to return with Charlie and Alice, and Renée to finish unpacking. I flicked to a random page and stopped to read it. It was the second time I had wrote in my diary since Emmett had died. After Emmett had died, I had taken to writing to Emmett instead to my diary. I never wrote 'Dear Diary' before that anyways, it had always seemed so cliché, I had just started writing about my day or whatever I was writing about. After he died, my diary wasn't my friend, my confidante, it was my Emmett. Yes, I probably should be sent to an asylum but that was how I thought about it.

"_Dear Emmett,_

_I can't believe you're gone. Every morning I wake up thinking it's all just a nightmare, I'm back to being 13 again and Renée never met Phil but every morning I find out that it is true. And it's nearly as bad as when I first heard the news. Every morning it's like that day all over again. Repeated over and over. And I'm sick of it. I just wish that I didn't have to feel this anymore. I wish a lot of things but I have learned the hard way that wishes don't come true._

_I want Phil to leave me and Renée alone. He doesn't hurt me anymore, not unless he wants to be sent to prison but he still stares, glares. It frightens me. I'm scared for myself and our mom. She's so fragile - I don't want to show her what her husband really is. I don't want to burst her out of her little bubble of life. God, I sound like the parent. I remember how Renée and you always used to say I was born middle-aged. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I'm sick of being the responsible one and I want to be looked after. I want to feel protected, I want to be a child again._

_But I know I can never be one ever again. Children are supposed to be naïve, unknowing of the cruelty of the world. I have seen too much of this world. _

_I had a dream last night, Emmett. For once it was a good dream. It was of an angel, an angel with a peculiar color of hair. A bronze color. He was very pale and his eyes were a butterscotch, topaz-y color. It was nice. It gave me hope for the first time since you died. I want to find this angel; but why would he want to find me? He told me not to give up, that you wouldn't want to. We were in a meadow, Em, and it was so perfect, so beautiful. When he laughed, I thought I would faint. It was such a beautiful laugh._

_OK, I know you don't like it when I drool over boys. Sorry. I wish you were here even if you are overprotective. Even if you do need to have a shower more often. Even if you do find it a personal conquest to make me blush as often as possible._

_God, I miss you so much._

_Bella_

_xxx_

Reading over this, I hoped that Dr. Gardiner hadn't read this. She would think I was insane with my dreams that featured a boy that sounded like my new boyfriend.

She wouldn't be looking this far in my diary, I tried to reassure myself. She would be concentrating before Emmett's death.

I had been sitting in bed when I was reading this and I hadn't realized until I touched my cheeks that I was crying. I put the diary away and put my head in my hands. I took a few deep breaths and raised my head from it's former position. I needed something to distract myself. My eyes zoomed on my iPod. I grabbed it and put it on shuffle.

Bad idea. The song that came on just reminded me more of Emmett. It was 'My Immortal' by Evanescence.

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_'Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried __I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

_You used to captivate me_

_By your resonating light_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face it haunts_

_My once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away_

_All the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

That was the last straw. I surrendered to my misery and sobbed. I tried to muffle it into my pillow but I guess it didn't work because next thing I know, a strong, hard body was hugging me, comforting me.

I looked up with tears in my eyes expecting him to be a little shocked by my sudden outburst but his face held no surprise. He rubbed my back comfortingly while I sat on his lap leaning into him, still crying. I immediately felt better when I was with him. As cliché and stupid as it sounds, it was the truth. He had caught my heart completely and when he was gone, it felt like a bit of me was missing and when we were together, I was whole.

I felt very guilty that when I was with Edward, I could forget about Emmett. I had told myself that I would never, ever - not even for 1 second - forget about him. Never stop thinking about him.

I felt guilty for moving on with my life. I was scared of forgetting him but I was also terrified of remembering him. I didn't want the pain. I didn't want to feel anymore regret. I couldn't change the past but I could change the future. I could hardly change the future when I was terrified of change.

When I had stopped crying, I showed him the diary. I wanted to share myself with him completely. I didn't want any secrets or half-truths with him.

I was afraid that he would think I was weak - I had broken down because of one entry in my dairy that I had written years ago and with the help of listening to one song.

"Why would I think you were weak, Bella?" he asked me, puzzled when I confided what I felt. "You are so strong, love. I'm surprised that it took so long! Anyone who has went through what you went through and had to live through this hell of a day would probably have been worse off than you! Don't be ashamed for missing your brother. Don't be embarrassed because you're feeling sad - you are only human."

_Hopefully not for long, _I thought to myself but of course I did not tell him that. Something tells me that now was not the time to ask him about me becoming a vampire.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he told me, caressing my cheek. "You are my life now."

"Promise me that you will never leave me," I grabbed his shirt, my hands clenched tight. I was absolutely terrified that Edward would leave me on my own like Emmett had. It hadn't been Emmett's fault that he died and I didn't think he purposely left me, but I was just so terrified of losing another person I loved.

"I promise," he said sincerely. "I love you, remember."

I relaxed in his arms.

"I wish I could just stay with you forever," I sighed in his embrace. We were now lying side by side on the bed, our arms wrapped around each other. I didn't want to leave his arms. They were my sanctuary, my home, my safe place. I didn't want to abandon the only true place I could feel safe and loved and venture into the war zone. Because that was what my life had turned into - World War Three but on a much smaller scale.

"As much as I would love to have you in my arms forever, Charlie and Alice are here," he told me regrettably. "And knowing Alice, if we don't join the others within the next 5 minutes, she will use force. She was going on about taking you on a shopping spree tomorrow," he warned me.

"Aww, is Edward scared of his small, little, pixie sister?" I teased.

"You better not let her hear you say that, she will barbecue you alive," he warned me seriously.

"No, she won't," I said brightly. "She loves me best, she wouldn't hurt me. Plus even if she did decide to barbecue me then you would save me!"

"True," he smirked. "But do you really want to risk it?"

Suddenly there were two heavy knocks on the bedroom door. "Bella, Edward, if you're not out here right this minute I swear-" Alice started to threaten but Edward had already opened the door for her.

He was still sucking up to her after the clothes incident.

"Bella!" cried Alice and hugged me tightly but not too tightly. I could tell she was trying to restrain herself from using her full strength in the hug.

"How was your flight?" I asked her.

"You will not believe it when I tell you, Bella," she told me, her face solemn. "The airport was so small that the only shop was a little newsagents'!"

I faked a gasp. "What is the world coming to?" I exclaimed sarcastically.

Alice either didn't notice my sarcasm because she was so upset or she just ignored me. "I know!" she agreed.

I couldn't help but laugh. Alice frowned and said angrily, "Bella, don't laugh at me! Airports with no shops are like, **against mother nature**. It's a sin!"

"Oh yes, how could I forget the 11th Commandment?" I mocked.

"Yes," she agreed wholeheartedly.

Edward interrupted before she could go anymore. "Alice, I think Bella wants to see Charlie, don't you?" he asked me sweetly.

"Yeah," I nodded my head and Edward took my hand and we walked to the door.

I turned around to see Alice pouting. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I wasn't finished talking," she said. "I didn't even get the chance to tell you about-"

She was interrupted yet again by the sound of foot steps and Charlie, Carlisle and Renée's faces peered in through the open doorway that we were about to go through.

"Dad!" I said happily.

"Hey kid," he greeted. "I missed you around the house."

"I've only been gone two days!" I laughed.

"I was just about to show Charlie his room and get him settled before we go out for dinner," Carlisle informed us. "We'll be back in about ten minutes. Behave," he smirked.

Charlie and Renée together seemed such a weird sight. They were always amiable with each other on the rare occasions Charlie visited us but because of Charlie's job and ties to Forks he hadn't been able to visit me often. I knew that Charlie had never really gotten over Renée and that made me sad that he hadn't found love like I had with Edward. I knew it must be uncomfortable to hang out your ex-husband/wife so I decided that maybe Renée coming to stay with us for a while wasn't a good idea.

"Edward, out!" commanded Alice as soon as the adults left. "It's time for me and Bella to have some girl talk ab-"

"No," Edward interrupted, folding his arms smugly. "I'm staying here with Bella as I promised her I would."

"Gah!" screeched Alice in frustration. "Why do I keep on getting interrupted?!"

"Maybe because you're not a very interesting person," Edward teased. "Joke," he added hastily when he saw Alice's face.

"You better watch your back, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen," threatened Alice.

"Mary Alice Brandon Cullen," retaliated Edward.

"Eddie," smirked Alice.

"Mary." Alice scowled.

"Eddie-kins."

"Freak," Edward threw at her after deciding that Alice's name wasn't offending enough.

"Eddie-poo."

"MAB!" Alice's face darkened and she glared at Edward. She looked furious; I actually felt scared for Edward.

"MAB?" I asked in confusion.

"Mad Asinine Baby," Edward explained, his eyes still trained on Alice, daring her to continue. Alice growled.

"Um… am I missing something here?" I deduced.

"MAB are her initials. Mary Alice Brandon. The first two words are pretty self-explanatory; the third merely has to do with the fact she is a baby both physically and mentally," Edward said smoothly, chuckling at Alice's glares. Alice was still growling and it looked like she was about to pounce on Edward.

"Alice, don't do anything you might later regret," I warned her, recognizing the evil glint in her eye.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything _**I regret**_," Alice empathized 'I regret'. Edward's smug face faltered a little bit but he didn't back down.

"Alice, you're being a little self-absorbed and selfish," Edward tried to get her to forget about her revenge and focus on the reason for this trip. "You should be focusing on Bella and not on your brother!"

"Oh, yes how could I forget about the shopping trip!?" Alice's attention was immediately diverted. To me. Crap.

I glared at Edward. I was going to help Alice. I was going to bring him down for reminding Alice about the shopping trip she had arranged for me, however indirectly.

"Bella! Bella!" Renée's excited cries called from the main room interrupted our conversation. "You have **got **to see this!"

* * *

**Reviews = Quicker Updates! What do you think Renée wants to show Bella?**

**BTW - chapters should come more quickly now. XD Sorry.**

**Love,**

**Smile! Edward Luvs Yhoo XD**

**xXx**


End file.
